Life's Essential Ingredients

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Catherine was pushed into her career (bullied actually) as Founder and CEO of Civility Partners, a Human Resources boutique  specializing in creating respectful workplace cultures.  Catherine has faced numerous life challenges both in the workforce and personally - all providing opportunity to build her resilience.   

Catherine has authored three books, hosts her own live talkshow on LinkedIn, has been featured in countless news outlets (CNN, NPR, Forbes, Inc Magazine, USA Today...) and travels the world as a leading expert on workplace culture and bullying.  

In this episode Catherine discusses:

• The definition of bullying
• Leadership
• Toxic Workplace Culture/Hostile Work Environment
• Surrounding yourself with a great team
• Delegation
• Family
• Vulnerability
• Assessment process she and her team use to evaluate workplace culture
• LTF - Actions an employees can take to protect themselves if getting bullied

Catherine is the best at what she does and brings tremendous insight and resources in this episode.   You can learn more about Catherine at: https://civilitypartners.com.  Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.

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Who is Allah-mi?  Mindset Coach, Life and Leadership Coach, Speaker, Game Changer.   Allah-mi helps clients gain clarity, courage, confidence, and consistency to reach new levels of success.  She hosts her own podcast - BE GREAT EVERYDAY and is the CEO and Founder of The Encouragement Company.  In this episode Allah-mi speaks to:
Defining Be Great Everyday (shares a powerful story)
Falling in Love (another unbelievable story)
Living with Intent
Coaching (she coaches Jeff up in this episode)
Journaling
Being able to sit with Someone who is Grieving
Living your Purpose
Explores Trust and Faith
The Power of Your Story
Living her LEGACY

This one of the most powerful episodes to date and you don't want to miss this one.  I seriously got goosebumps at four different times throughout the show - thank you Allah-mi for touching my heart.   Enjoy the show.

You can communicate with Allah-mi by going to https://www.begreateveryday.com.

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Ryan McCarty is living his best life in the present moment; surrounded by the love he has for his family and the love his family has for him.  Ryan is the Co-Founder of Culture of Good and author of Build a Culture of Good.   Ryan has 20 years experience in the nonprofit world as a pastor and travels the county speaking to businesses about bringing their soul to work.   

Ryan has overcome the loss of his mother to suicide (when he was 6), his father's drug addiction, and other personal challenges.  Get your notebook and listen intently because Ryan drops some deep seeded knowledge.  Highlights of the episode:

• Ryan speaks about the importance of the flower tattoo on his hand
• Ryan discusses some of the values of his life - love, joy, listening, and communication.
• Culture, Leadership, Management, Community Giving, Process, Mindfulness, Empathy, Meditation, and Routine.
• Ryan has an insightful conversation with his younger self.
• Ryan talks about the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
• REHUMANIZING BUSINESS
• Reconnect with self
• Build so you can give it away
• Freedom of Choice
• Decisions are made by what we prioritize (can and will change over time)
• "Life is going to be consistently inconsistent."

Ryan is a down to earth leader who opened up his heart in this episode.   You can find Ryan at: https://www.ryanmccarty.com and https://www.cultureofgood.com.  Enjoy and thanks for listening.

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Every now and then you run across someone who is wired a little different.  Who makes you question what you do.   Who gets you talking about what it takes to be the best.  Who causes you to think about your work – life balance.   Mike and I had the pleasure of hosting just that person.   Melissa Tucci, the #1 real estate broker in the nation, inspired Mike and I to think a little different and to perhaps, “to go the extra mile” in what we do. 

Melissa Tucci is doing what she was put on this earth to do.   Sell houses.   Let me explain.   To Melissa, selling a house is the key toward helping an individual or family live the American Dream!  Melissa is 100% all in toward making the home buying process stress and worry free for her clients.   Melissa takes great pride in what she does and has dedicated her life to helping people achieve their dream.  Melissa is a wonderful mother to three beautiful girls, is happily married, and is active in several nonprofit organizations.   

Highlights from this episode:

Light the Fuse – Melissa suggests to:

§  Dress professionally – it is important to look the part and more importantly, to respect the client 

§  Develop a great work-ethic

§  Find a mentor to show you how to do whatever it is you want to work hard at

§  Get out and talk – important to be a great communicator.   Use different types of communication whether it is texting, calling, meeting… Find which method is preferred by the client and then be consistent in your communication.

§  Time Management – Melissa often sells 150 houses a year… that is crazy.  Average agent sells 5.   Being efficient is vital toward achieving success in any aspect of life.

 Legacy:  TRUST.   

There are so many moving pieces in Melissa’s industry and lots of i’s that need to be dotted and t’s that need to be crossed.   Sometimes, the stress comes at the expense of the client.  NOT FOR MELISSA’S CLIENTS.   Melissa earns the TRUST of her clients by “going the extra mile” and consistently being available for her clients.  

Here are a few of Melissa’s accolades:

- #1 Ranked Coldwell Banker Agent in California

- Ranked #1 Agent Nationwide 

- 'The Official Agent of the San Diego Padres'

- San Diego Magazine 5-Star Winner Customer Satisfaction 10 YEARS IN A ROW!

- One of the Top 100 Agents in the Nation for Homes Sold per The Wall Street Journal and Real Trends. 

-REAL TRENDS Ranked 97 in the nation on transactions.

- Executive Agent of the Month WINNER - Top Agent Magazine.

You can contact Melissa at [email protected] and can find out more about her at MelissaTucci.com.   Thanks for listening 

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What an honor to host our long-time friend and mentor, Greg Sempadian.   I have never met any person who is so humble, so kind, and so considerate of all people, but specifically, student-athletes.  Words to describe this weeks guest include: patient, caring, understanding, genuine, devoted, loyal, true, real, enthusiastic, inspiring, positive, honest, man of integrity, teacher, coach, friend, mentor, brother, student-athlete ambassador, servant leader, and the heart of USF athletics.
This episode will take you on a journey with ups and downs.. but through it all, Greg always finds a way to make people feel special.   You will get to hear Greg's "You are the man" or "You are the greatest" story and meaning as well as other incredible insights into serving others with love and respect.   Greg is truly one in a million and Mike and I were blessed to have him guide us when we were just learning to find our own way.   
Thanks for tuning in to the show and please reach out to me with any questions, comments, insights, requests... [email protected].   Take care and enjoy the show.

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Aditi Surana is a young woman who will change my life.   This episode of Life's Essential Ingredients kept me up all night.   Aditi is someone who is so genuine, so soft-spoken, so articulate, so knowledgeable, so insightful, so humble, so beautiful, so grounded,...I could literally go on and on.   Mike and I did this show late night (time difference in Mumbai is 13 hours ahead of us) and I normally do not stay up past 11 p.m.  I would have stayed up til 4 a.m. if Aditi did not have to get to work.  Rarely do we cross paths with someone who absolutely blows your mind.   This is an episode you will want to listen to again and again.   Aditi is so insightful and shares so many profound lessons that you might miss if you are not in the zone while listening.   Trust me, this will be worth it!  Sorry, so who is Aditi Surana?
Aditi is all of the following but still undefined:
Entrepreneur
Podcast Host of Absolutely Write
Author (book coming soon)
High Performance Coach
Graphologist
Blogger
Speaker
Leader
Role Model
Coach
Teacher
Art Enthusiast
"Unshakeable" Optimist
LIFE CHANGER

Aditi had the gift of being dyslexic and used her gift to create a life of reading between the lines.   Aditi has a powerful gift of being fully present in all that she does.   She is process driven and has incorporated a deep spiritual connection between herself and all of whom are blessed to meet her existence.   Aditi is the guru for her clients but to be honest, probably grows more than her clients do.  There is something magical about Aditi and the entire world would benefit from a spoonful of her being! 

A few quotes from Aditi -
"Your experience is determined not by the result, but the motive behind your actions."

"It is not about what you do, but how you feel when you do it."

Where to Find Aditi Surana
www.AditiSurana.com
Aditi Surana is an internationally renowned Graphologist, High Performance Coach, Podcaster, Speaker & Writer. 
Follow Aditi : Instagram  / Podcast /  Linked In /  YouTube  / Facebook  

Thanks for listening, this is one episode that you do not want to miss.   Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions or comments.   Thanks and take care.

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Aaron was a three time All American basketball player at Olivet Nazarene University (ONU).  He is close to the top on most ONU basketball records; he has his graduate degree in Business Administration, and he is the most humble individual I have ever met.   Aaron is a true servant of the Lord and lives his life with with love in his heart.  In this episode, Aaron will discuss the various roles he has had up to this point in his life - son, brother, teammate, role player, All American, graduate assistant, chauffeur, assistant coach, husband, and a new role, dog owner.

Aaron was blessed to be raised with high standards and an appreciation of respect for all people.  Aaron was guided by a legendary coach - Coach Ralph Hodge - Aaron attributes much of his basketball and life success to the fundamental life lessons of Coach Hodge.  Aaron is currently coaching men's basketball at Taylor University in Indiana where he hopes to encourage his current players to develop their best version of themselves. 
If you are a basketball fan, you need to get to Indiana and Taylor University's "Silent Night" game.  Do yourself a favor and google it -  it is one amazing event!

Light the Fuse:
Aaron recommends surrounding yourself with people who will lead you the right way.
Show Me the Evidence:
Aaron recommends reading the Bible and spending time understanding the Good Book.
Coaching Legacy: 
Aaron wants to leave behind that his players were loved!  

Aaron is an amazing young man and the world is blessed to have him on this earth.   You don't want to miss this inspiring episode of Life's Essential Ingredients.   Thanks for tuning in. 

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Where do you start when you have the good fortune of meeting someone so GIFTED!  Sivonnia DeBarros is the founder and CEO of SL DeBarros Law Firm, Protector of Athletes, Loving mother to her son, x3 Best Selling Author, Business, Employment, and Sports Entertainment Lawyer, Podcaster, and so much more. 

Sivonnia has deep roots in the south and was blessed to be the BOSSY big sister to her three sisters.   Sivonnia was profoundly influenced by her mother and grandmother; both guiding her to leave her own legacy.  Sivonnia is driven to educate, empower, teach, guide, inspire, motivate, and protect.   It would seem almost impossible to do all the things Sivonnia does... but she attributes much of her success to surrounding herself with a great team.   

Sivonnia is POWERFUL and if she had to use music to tell her story, her song would be "Nobody Greater Than You."   One of her favorite parts to her day is the time she has with her young son in the morning - Sivonnia is always teaching... they start the day with an affirmation of "I AM POWERFUL" and then spend the rest of the day taking action to hold truth to the words.

You most definitely want to listen in on how Sivonnia makes decisions.   She will walk you through her process and you will be inspired by her gift.Please check out her podcast and book - What Are You Sporting About to gain insight on living your purpose and leaving your legacy.   You don't want to miss this episode of Life's Essential Ingredients.   Thanks for listening.

Please check out Sivonnia website at www.sldebarros.com/C4. 

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John Claudius Sayers IV takes us on a journey all over the country.   John was blessed to have moved every two years of his young life.   He didn't realize it at the time but he was "getting comfortable being uncomfortable."  This challenge was John's greatest gift to himself because it shaped the way he viewed the world, more importantly, how he saw people.   In this episode John will guide us to a better understanding of one of his heroes - Aaron Johnson; one very difficult experience (one of John's daughters was sexually assaulted); and the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

John is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Superior Foods (Aptos/Watsonville area).  He is married to a beautiful and talented wife (Cristina), has two amazing daughters (Addison and Harlow) and an up and coming son (has his dad's basketball abilities), Keone.

John knows what it feels like to be an outsider and so the people in John's life, get to feel his love, humor, dedication, and heartfelt smile each and every day.  When asked, what he hopes to leave behind, John simply stated, he hoped that people would say, "John made the world slightly better."  John, without a doubt, you have made this world and my life, a whole lot better and I am blessed to call you friend and brother. 

Key Takeaways from John on the impact of Aaron Johnson on his life (You have to listen to the letter John wrote to Aaron before he died - deep and powerful):
Commitment
Teamwork
Community

Impact of Going Through Sexual Assault:
Take care of those closest to us
Using resources to help heal (www.rainn.org) (800) 656-HOPE
Working together as a team (John had one role and his wife had another in supporting their daughter)
REALLY sit down and listen to your children and don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions and always listen without judgment

LTF - Light the Fuse:
John suggests the following:
Ask for help if you are having difficulty
Take action (positive) to get some endorphins released in your body to get you in a positive space.  John likes to walk, ride a bike, and do work around the house.
Get organized - John loves to go to bed early and get up even earlier.  John knows he is very productive in the morning and suggests having a plan on paper and then getting it done!

You don't want to miss this episode of Life's Essential Ingredients - get some tissue, get some popcorn, and take out a notebook because John Sayers is making us all - slightly better!

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Bennie Murray is an incredible young man with an even more incredible story.   Bennie has been blessed with two loving parents who have guided him on his life journey.   Bennie's journey covers several different continents, countless hours of working on his craft, and many bumps and bruises along the way.   Regardless of the opportunity or challenge, Bennie stays humble and true to his roots.  Bennie's story of transformation will inspire you to NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP CHASING YOUR PASSIONS, and to appreciate the gift of each new day.

Light the Fuse:  Bennie suggests to do the following:
1.  Journal - put your thoughts to pen and paper.   Bennie likes to look back and see the growth he has gone through.

2.  Brain Food - BOOKS - Bennie suggests to read and be a student of whatever your game is.  If you are not into reading, listen to podcasts (especially this one:), or watch YouTube videos... pick whichever medium allows you to grow and get better.

3.  Get Organized - Bennie has a point system he uses to track the work he is doing to get better.   Developing a routine helps put your energy into what is truly ESSENTIAL.

Bennie is a inspiration to the Fairfield community and has inspired lives all over the world.   Thanks for tuning into this episode of Life's Essential Ingredients.