Fearless Happyness Podcast

Learning to Be Unapologetically You with Tara May   As a visionary, charismatic leader, and an international neurodiversity advocate, Tara May has spent most of her career transforming legacy organizations into thriving, future-focused digital properties.   Through her career in media and tech, Tara has masterfully revolutionized companies and has become a go-to expert and strategic consultant for some of the world’s biggest brands that we know today, including Hershey’s, Disney, and Wells Fargo.  However, her role as a mom has brought Tara to discover her mission and passion in life.   The proud mother of an autistic preteen, Tara is dedicated to championing and helping people worldwide embrace neurodiversity in life and work.   As the CEO of Aspiritech, a revolutionary tech company with a mission of meaningful employment for autistic team members, Tara is known for being an empowering leader who fosters high-performing teams through a positive, data-driven work environment that champions embracing neurodiversity, mental health, and, most of all, kindness in the workplace.   A strong believer in the ROI of kindness and transparency, Tara knows that explosive business growth is never far behind when her people thrive.   Listen in as Tara and I sit down to discuss how a legacy career in tech helped her discover a passion for people, purpose, and the power of neurodiversity that has ultimately led her to a life of FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!!

Finding the Other Side of Comfort with Brian Barraza

A Professional Runner from Boulder, Colorado, Brian Barazza has been running towards the Good Life ever since childhood.   Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Brian began running at age 7 after his mom suggested the sport as a solution to help him with being hyperactive!   Discovering that running was exciting and a haven, Brian soon became an avid runner, running for sport.   As a standout athlete at the University of Houston, Brian would go on to compete post-collegiately at higher levels of track and field for years.   Then, in 2018, while competing for a team title at the NCAA Championships, Brian experienced a heartbreaking loss.   With just a minute left to go on his final lap in the Steeplechase and seconds away from winning the championship, Brian clipped a barrier that would cause him to fall and lose it all.   Devastated, injured, and feeling soul-crushing guilt, Brian knew that his energy was best spent getting back up instead of staying down.   Quickly turning the loss into a win by learning from the whole experience, Brian went on to compete at the 2021 Olympic Trials Final, where he placed 11th in the 3000 meters. From there, he achieved a World Athletics Championship standard in 2022.   Now, the Student of the World, Designer, Author, and Coach is helping break down the barriers between professional and amateur by coaching athletes of all ages and abilities worldwide to run toward a life of endless possibilities and happiness.   Listen in as Brian and I sit down to discuss how, with the right mindset and trust in himself, he turned a devastating loss into an everlasting win at life and his mission to help others do the same so that they can find the path that he did to living with FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

Discover Fitzness & Adventure with Fitz Koehler   One of the most prominent and compelling fitness experts and race announcers in America, Fitz Koehler is a fitness innovator who has been helping people all around the globe live better and longer by making fitness understandable, attainable, and fun!   Growing up in a very basic home in Fort Lauderdale and in an addiction-ridden house, Fitz fell in love with healthy living when she started teaching fitness at the age of 15 in traditional fitness centers.   By the age of 20, Fitz was helping lead countless people toward health and athletic adventures.   Then, in 2019, Fitz would be handed a health scare when, just six weeks after a crystal-clear mammogram, she discovered a cancerous lump in her breast, which had already spread to her lymph nodes.   Determined not to shut down or let her fear win, Fitz turned up the volume and bravely went through 15 months of chemotherapy, 33 rounds of radiation, and several surgeries, all while staying committed to fitness, quality time with her kids, and maintaining her career at full force.   She shares her journey in her memoir, “My Noisy Cancer Comeback: Running at the Mouth While Running for My Life,” in the hopes of helping other cancer patients triumph and thrive!   The president of Fitzness International, LLC – a fitness company specializing in fitness education and programs for all ages. Fitz has one mission and one mission only …   To tack ten years onto everyone’s life she meets.   Listen in as Fitz, and I sit down to discuss how she turned growing up basic into an extraordinary life with the ultimate comeback and how it has all taught her to run towards a life of FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

A Boston-based serial entrepreneur and investor, Chris Kille helps high-level entrepreneurs and busy professionals buy back their time with the use of Virtual Assistants.

 

From washing windows to building multi-million-dollar deals, Chris was never lazy and has also been a hustler by nature, as he loved to do the work in front of him.

 

But being an entrepreneur wasn’t really something that Chris dreamed about, until that was the only option he had.

 

Never one who did well with authority, Chris had a hard time keeping jobs and working for someone else.

 

That is when he realized that in order to make any kind of life for himself, entrepreneurship was going to be a necessity.

  

However, it didn’t come easy.

 

Once struggling with finding good employees for one of his companies, Chris was frustrated and feeling hopeless when he stumbled upon the world of Virtual Assistants.

 

Having reserves at first, Chris would quickly develop a love for the Virtual Assistant world and everything that comes along with it.

 

Now the founder of EO Staff is on a mission to empower other business leaders across the US make their lives better so they can focus on growth and innovation, just like he did.

 

Listen in as Chris and I sit down to discuss how he turned business worries and struggles into an opportunity that not only helped him regain his freedom, but also help clients find theirs as well and how it has all lead him to finding his own path to FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

Karma and Kismet with Michael Shandler   Award-winning, multi-published author, life coach, and organization development consultant Dr. Michael Shandler has spent the better part of the last forty years coaching individuals in their psycho-spiritual development and well-being.   Growing up in a dysfunctional family during the apartheid era in South Africa, Michael spent most of his childhood and teen years surrounded by conflict, abuse, and guilt.   Filled with poor self-esteem and serious psychological damage, Michael reached adulthood, lost with no real sense of meaning or purpose.   Setting out on a transformational personal journey that would span over the next 15 years and across many continents, Michael experienced life through many cultures, lifestyles, and settings that eventually helped him discover a deep meaning of place and purpose, earn him a master’s and a doctorate, and eventually help him find a sense of home with the love of his life.   Now, in his new book “Karma and Kismet: A Spiritual Quest Across Continents, Cultures and Consciousness,” Michael shares his journey in this heartfelt memoir about overcoming bad karma and the role of kismet, or fate, and how it shapes your life and destiny.   Listen in as Michael and I sit down to discuss how growing up in a dysfunctional family gave him the powerful grist to go beyond his comfort zones and embark on a journey that would ultimately transform his life and lead him on the path to FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

A Journey of Discovery with Alessia Citro

A former corporate powerhouse who left her lucrative career at tech giants Google and Salesforce, Alessia Citra is a quintessential expander and that friend that everyone wants in their corner.   As a certified life coach, best-selling author, and serial entrepreneur, Alessia is on a mission to help others explore and define a more meaningful life, just like she did.   In 2001, at the height of her career in tech and with a thriving seven-figure online wine club business, Alessia would soon find herself facing burnout, challenges, and a global pandemic that would have her on a path of bad habits that included a drinking problem and habits that would ultimately negatively affect her life.   Knowing she needed to make a change, Alessia embarked on a journey of Human Design that would combine ambition, humbling experiences, and an awakening of the transformative power of positive habits.   Alessia would learn that there are no shortcuts to meaningful change, but combining proven frameworks with energetic alignment and soul-centeredness can lead to precise, purposeful, and fulfilling life transformations.   Now, she is helping others discover the same! Her upcoming book, Higher Self Habits, invites readers on a journey of self-discovery and emphasizes that daily habits are the foundation of our destiny.   Listen in as Alessia and I sit down to discuss how stepping away from a coveted position in tech and a thriving wine business would embark her on a journey of challenges, personal discovery, and awakenings that would help her find her way to FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

Creating Unforgettable Experiences with Cole Sjoholm   Helping people live their American Dream while also living his has been a powerful feeling for Cole Sjoholm.   As a top-producing mortgage loan originator with over twenty years of experience, Cole has felt TRULY honored to help clients achieve their dream of homeownership.   Finding success by being there for others, Cole was happy but still felt that something was missing.   Then, in 2022, on New Year’s Eve, Cole would be asked a question that would completely transform his entire life … “Would you go?”   Five days later, trips to all seven continents were booked, and Cole was on his way to an unforgettable journey, including visiting 25 different countries and covering 110,246 miles exploring the world.   Cole chronicled his journeys on his travel blog, “Mortgage Guy Travels the World.” He shared anecdotes and stunning photography from his travels.   However, what he discovered about himself brought the biggest reward …   Being here for yourself is the most remarkable thing you can do!   Upon returning home at the end of 2023, Cole turned his newfound passion into writing his first book, “Filling My Bucket: A Year of Solo Travel Across Seven Continents.” He also established himself as a travel agent with InteleTravel, a home-based business that allows him to share his passion for travel and help others discover theirs.   His next goal is to Get to Outer Space!   Listen in as Cole and I sit down to discuss how helping others live their American Dream helped him discover his, the question that he will be eternally grateful for, and how it has helped him find a life of FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

Building Great Leaders with William Branum   A Highly Decorated Retired Navy Seal, Best Selling Author, and TEDx Speaker, William Branum's commitment to serving others has been at the forefront of his entire life.   At an early age, William knew he wanted to be part of a team that would push him to do good and be great in life while still enjoying the outdoors and all that it had to offer.   Finding that goal in the Eagle Scouts, William would move on to join the Navy immediately after graduating high school.   From there, he would go on to graduate from SEAL Training and serve on multiple SEAL Teams before moving on to become a SEAL Sniper instructor and deploying around the globe.   As with too many veterans and soldiers, William suffered from numerous physical injuries and psychological symptoms that started to impact his well-being and quality of life negatively.   Trying many prescription medications to help, William eventually started to "self-medicate" with alcohol to help with the pain and sleep issues.   Knowing that he could not continue this way, once he retired from the military, William would move on to explore a new world of plant-based treatments that he kept hearing about with promising benefits, like CBD.   Determined to maintain his Top-Secret Security clearance from the military, he sought THC-free options of CBD.   Since then, William has not only improved his quality of life but is dedicated to sharing the recovery benefits he has experienced in hopes of helping other Veterans and First Responders find an elite quality of life.   William has made it his mission to share the lessons that he has learned with others as a speaker, author, and business/leadership coach.   Listen in as William and I sit down to discuss how his traumas, challenges, and injuries led him to a path of renewed hope, inspiration, and recovery, his mission to help others do the same, and what has helped him create a life of FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!

Discovering Your Core Essentials with Wil Singleton   William Singleton, also known as Wil, is an addiction recovery coach, author, and motivational public speaker who leads a life of service.   From a young age, Wil learned the importance of serving others, influenced by his family's value of community service. It wasn't until he faced his own struggles with addiction that he truly learned how to serve with humility and discovered his life's purpose.   Despite being raised in a loving home, Wil grappled with weight issues and stress, which hindered his ability to sleep. Seeking help, he turned to a doctor who prescribed medication for sleep, but unfortunately, this led to an addiction. Fortunately, with the help of others, he was able to recognize the unhealthy path he was on and find a way to a cleaner and healthier life.   Now, as the founder and president of Core Counseling Strategies, Wil offers personalized support through his recovery programs. He provides education, guidance, and the 7 core essentials to help clients achieve their recovery goals and build an essential life.   Listen in as Wil, and I discuss his journey from a country boy in a good home to addiction, how he found his way out, and his mission to help others break through their own addictions to lead balanced and healthier lives.

Escaping the Shadows with Lyn Smith Gregory   Growing up Mormon, Lyn Smith Gregory struggled to be perfect and protect her family’s high-profile image within The Church and community.   At seventeen, she would leave home to attend college and soon become exposed to ideas that countered everything she had been taught and believed.   Disillusioned by what she discovered and feeling broken, Lyn left her faith and family in search of establishing her own identity.   However, it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought.   Riddled with guilt and old perfection beliefs, Lyn quickly learned that not everyone supported her decisions.   Finding herself shunned by her family and community, Lyn would be forced to reexamine who she was and what was faithful to her and her family and find an identity and path through this new reality.     Now the author of “We Were Smiths: Escaping the Shadow of Joseph Smith’s Mormon Legacy,” Lyn shares in her memoir a unique and in-depth account of what it was like growing up within the Mormon Church as the great-great-granddaughter of Samuel Smith and what happened when she and her sister decided to break away from The Church and their family.   Listen in as Lyn, and I talk about her experience in the confinements of the Mormon faith, her journey once she left, and the challenges she overcame from it to find a path that would lead her to FEARLESS HAPPYNESS!