Grateful Living

Grateful Living

By Arnav RoyHealth & FitnessMental Health
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Grateful Living episodes

  • #10: Journalist Kwani Lunis on Her Life Journey and Finding Journalism
    Kwani A. Lunis is multimedia journalist - she is currently the Social Media Producer at NBC 10 Boston & NECN. Previously, she was at NBC Sports Boston for 4 years - she started as a Production Assistant for TV/Digital and then later was Social Media Coordinator.
    In this interview, Kwani and I talk about her life journey - growing up in Orange, New Jersey, the influence of her Haitian background, going to Boston College and being a manager of the women's basketball team, and how she found journalism as a career in her junior year of college. She then talks about her journey so far in the industry. We also touch on the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd and others.
    Kwani's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwanialunis/?hl=en
    Part III of NBC10 Boston's "Protesters in Portrait Series" which Kwani has helped produce: https://www.nbcboston.com/george-floyd-protests/george-floyd-protesters-in-their-words-it-says-serve-and-protect-not-serve-and-kill/2141274/
    My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/
    Grateful Living Website: https://www.gratefulliving4.com/
    1 hr 3 min
  • #9: Founder and CEO of Dope Promotions Group: Ado Kawuba shares his life and business journey
    Ado Kawuba is a former Division 1 Soccer player at Boston College and now currently runs Dope Promotions Group, a premier integrated marketing, promotions and events activation company that specializes in entertainment and hospitality.
    Ado talks about being born in Uganda, living in the Netherlands from ages  2-7 and then moving to the United States, and what those transitions were like. Ado then talks about how being recruited by Division 1 schools for soccer in his junior and senior year.
    In the middle of the interview, I talk to Ado about his experience as an African American, his experiences with racism, his thoughts on Black Lives Matter movement, and his thoughts on what non-blacks can do to help improve society.
    Finally, we get to Dope Promotions Group and its formation. Ado talks about how though the company originally focused on partnerships with bars and people to create a great nightlife experience, the company is now expanding into other event management spaces like corporate events. We wrap up with Ado talking about the impact of Covid-19 and his vision for the company over the next couple years.
    53 min
  • #8: Jon Feinman talks about founding non-profit InnerCity Weighlifting
    Jon Feinman is the founder and executive director of InnerCity Weightlifting, a non-profit that helps at risk-youth by providing meaningful career tracks in and beyond personal training.   
    InnerCity Weightlifting, founded in 2010, now has 15 employees supporting 199 students.   
    In light of George Floyd's death and the protests going on, Jon also provides his own perspective to people on his own experiences supporting his students within the justice system.
    InnerCity Weighlifting's Website: https://www.innercityweightlifting.org/  
    InnerCity Weightlifting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innercity_weightlifting/?hl=en
    My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/  
    Grateful Living Website: https://www.gratefulliving4.com/
    1 hr 2 min
  • #7: Adam Burak: My story of overcoming alcoholism and mental health challenges

    Adam Burak is currently a Consultant at the Winkler Group.   Adam dealt with substance abuse, an alcohol addiction and binge drinking in his high school and college years. He talks about his journey of how always wanting to be the entertainer in his group led to binge drinking, what led him to  acknowledge the problem, the steps he took to become sober and maintain his sobriety, how supportive his friends were in his journey, and how his life has transformed in the positive direction in so many areas since becoming sober. 

    We also talked about the stigmas of mental health issues.   This was a powerful interview and one we can all reflect on in terms of acknowledging problems in our life and making sure we're taking care of ourselves.  

    As stated in the interview, Adam is a resource and would love to talk to anyone dealing with the issue. He wants to be there for anyone who wants to talk.   

    Adam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam_burak12/   

    Adam's email: [email protected]   

    My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/   

    Grateful Living Website: https://www.gratefulliving4.com/

    1 hr 5 min
  • #6: A. Sherrod Blakely: NBC Sports Boston, Boston Celtics Insider talks about his life journey
    I speak to A. Sherrod Blakely about his professional journey from print journalism to digital journalism to TV journalism.   
    Blakely has worked for the Post-Standard in Syracuse, the ACC Writer in North Carolina, MLive.com as the Detroit Pistons NBA Writer, and now is a Digital Media NBA Reporter at NBC Sports Boston.   
    Blakely talks about how he initially thought he would go to school for chemical engineering, how that then changed to journalism, what it was like covering Syracuse in the early 90s and Jim Boeheim, what it was like being one of the few minority reporters in the mid 90s covering ACC football/basketball, stories of certain Detroit Pistons players he got to know well while covering the team like Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace, he talks about what it was like being at the Malice at the Palace as a reporter, stories of certain Celtic players like Kevin Garnett, and what Covid-19's effect has been on sports journalism.    
    Blakely also gives his own advice to young professionals starting out in the journalism game.   
    To follow Blakely on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asherrodblakely/?hl=en  
    To follow Blakely's reporting on NBC Sports Boston: https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/a-sherrod-blakely  
    To follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en  
    To follow my website: https://www.gratefulliving4.com/
    1 hr 35 min
  • #5: Shaun Jayachandran of Crossover India, international non-profit
    Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy is an international basketball program in India committed to going beyond the teaching of the sport and into providing educational opportunities for all students regardless of socio-economic status.  
    I talk to Shaun about his journey growing up in Canada and then later in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s as a brown-kid and the differences between the two countries, his mom's inspiring story of coming to the US through her education despite growing up as an orphan, his work as a chemistry teacher and basketball coach, his views on certain societal issues, and how all of that led to him starting an international non-profit.
    To learn more about 
    Crossover: https://www.crossover-india.org/  
    To follow Crossover on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossoverbasketball/?hl=en  
    To follow Shaun on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossovershaun/?hl=en  
    To follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/  
    Grateful Living Website: gratefulliving4.com
    1 hr 26 min
  • #4: Kerri Shields: Co-Founder of Playeasy, Color Commentator, former Division 1 Basketball Star, talks about her journey
    Kerri is currently President and COO of Playeasy and is a color commentatorfor the ACC Digital Network ! She is also a former Boston College Women's basketball star (she finished with over 1000 points in her 4 year career at Boston College). 
    Playeasy Website: https://www.playeasy.com/
    Kerri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrishields10/?hl=en
    Grateful Living Website: gratefulliving4.com 
    My Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en
    1 hr
  • #3: Caroline Portu: Actress, Model, Comedian, Singer
    I sit down with actress, model, comedian and singer Caroline Portu.  We talked about her journey in college of doing theatre at Boston College, her journey doing auditions in the film industry and being cast in Blood and Money featuring Tom Berenger, and I Feel Pretty with Amy Schumer, her comedy sketches on Youtube, and her singing career.
    41 min
  • #2: Ben Stevens: My Music and Life Journey to Becoming Lead Singer of Juice
    I talk to Ben Stevens about growing up in a multicultural household, his experience trying out for the Voice, the formation of Juice as a band at Boston College and how the group decided not to take the “safe route” of taking corporate jobs after graduating and instead became full-time with the band. We also talked about the effects of being a full-time artist on Ben's personal life and his hopes and aspirations for Juice in the future.
    1 hr 43 min

About Grateful Living

From the publisher's feed

I try to share and learn from positive and inspirational stories by interviewing people in different industries.