MOJO MODE with Annie O

John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team behind John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. John is a 26-year-old entrepreneur, advocate, public speaker, philanthropist, and athlete who happens to have Down syndrome. He and Mark strongly believe that people with different abilities should have the same opportunities to work, thrive, and create community. In fact, more than half of the team at John’s Crazy Socks have differing abilities, and John and Mark often host tours and workgroups for students with different abilities to open their eyes to what’s possible after graduating high school. 

When John isn’t at the warehouse making design decisions, writing handwritten notes for each order, or wrangling socks, he and Mark are speaking at conferences and making strides with their Down syndrome advocacy work. They’ve spoken at Microsoft, Ernst and Young, and universities all over the world. They’ve also testified twice before the US Congress, spoken at the United Nations, and John was recently invited on to the floor of the New York State Assembly where the New York State Legislature passed a resolution on World Down Syndrome Day. 

John’s Crazy Socks Giving Back program is at the center of their mission and they have raised nearly $500,000 for their charity partners. From day one, John and Mark have pledged 5% to the Special Olympics, a charity near and dear to them as John has been part of the organization for 21 years. John has now donated over $100,000 to the Special Olympics, which more than any Special Olympic athlete has ever done. 

Listen to today’s episode to hear how John and Mark are spreading happiness one pair of crazy socks at a time. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• The reason and inspiration to start John’s Crazy Socks 
• How they created a mission-driven enterprise through giving back with each sale  
• Why hiring people with differing abilities is not altruism一it's good business
• How John has been a Special Olympics athlete for over 20 years and how it shaped his entrepreneurial and leadership skills
• How they scaled from 42 orders on launch day to now shipping over 375,000 packages to 88 different countries
• What they have planned next for the brand

About our guest: 

• Website
• Tedx Talk
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Tik Tok
• The Spreading Happiness Podcast  
   

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want me to highlight on the podcast, DM it to me on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod
   

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter

William A. Adams is a software engineering trailblazer, award-winning DEI innovator, and philanthropist. William has over 35 years of tech experience and has spent most of his career at Microsoft. Since starting in 1995, he’s been a big believer in being an intrapreneur and exploring passion projects within a company. 

One example of his intrapreneurship in action was in 2015 when he co-founded the LEAP apprenticeship program at Microsoft. LEAP matches tech talent in coding academies and other non-collegiate programs with training opportunities at Microsoft. LEAP was named Microsoft's D&I Program of the Year in 2020 and 98% of the program participants have jobs in Microsoft or other high-tech companies.

Outside of Microsoft, William is dedicated to lifting up minority communities through technology. He coined the term ‘techquity’ and educates folks who are typically disadvantaged when it comes to building generational wealth on investing in tech. He’s the founder of The EV3NT, a collaborative, community-based hackathon designed to solve real-world civic, social, and environmental problems. William is also the driving force behind Microsoft’s new push into the U.S. Virgin Island and founder of Cruzan Global, a non-profit that provides seed funding and resources to tech startups that are founded in and benefit the Caribbean region.  

Listen to today’s episode to hear more about William’s incredible career and how he’s making major changes in the tech industry. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• William’s dynamic ways of viewing the world and opportunities
• How he awakened his empathy during a 3-year work program in Hyderabad, India
• Incorporating different perspectives and cultures at Microsoft through the LEAP program
• How he built credibility at Microsoft in order to launch his own initiatives
• His leadership philosophy on elevating and developing the people he manages
• How he sees technology and the workforce changing in the next 20 to 30 years
• The importance of community growth and amplifying resources for everyone

About our guest: 

• William's Website
• William's Twitter
• William’s LinkedIn 

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want me to highlight on the podcast, DM it to me on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter

Brenda VanLengen is an Emmy Award-winning multi-sport TV broadcaster. She’s the primary analyst for the Big 12 Conference women's basketball coverage on Fox Sports and Play-by-Play announcer for ESPN and the SEC Network Monday night games, as well as an analyst for local networks. 

In today’s episode, Brenda shares how her family supported her love of sports from a young age and she eventually went on to play basketball at the University of Nebraska Kearney. Her legacy at Nebraska–Kearney includes being named one of their top 20 scorers all-time, a two-time Academic All-American, All CSIC-1st Team, and All-District 11 First team. She also helped build up the program and her team made an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. 

Though she studied education and planned on becoming a high school teacher, women’s college basketball was her biggest passion. She got her lucky break when she was asked to fill in for the color commentator at a Kansas State game. Since then, she’s been an analyst for over 1,200 women’s basketball games. 

Over her 27 year career, Brenda has seen first-hand how much progress has been made in women’s college basketball. But, there’s still a lot of work to be done to support girls and women in sports. Her latest project is a documentary series titled If Not For Them, which details the epic story of the forgotten women who changed the world for the love of their sport. She wants to tell the origin story of women’s basketball and highlight all the amazing women and men who elevated the sport. 

Listen to today’s episode to hear more about Brenda’s journey and the awareness she’s bringing to equality in women’s basketball. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• Brenda’s favorite moments from the sidelines
• Breaking through limiting beliefs and being open to saying ‘yes’
• How Brenda brings a different perspective and voice to broadcast journalism
• Learning how to take advantage of your strengths
• Why it’s so important to explore the history of women’s basketball
• Brenda’s fundraising efforts for If Not For Them
• The intersection of Title IX and the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship
• Empowering girls and women in athletics

About our guest: 

• If Not For Them Website
• If Not For Them Donation Page
• Brenda's Website
• Brenda’s Twitter
• Brenda’s Instagram

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want me to highlight on the podcast, DM it to me on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter

Trav Bell, aka The Bucket List Guy, is on a mission to help 10 million people lead purposefully fulfilled lives. But, his career didn’t exactly start that way. Growing up in a seaside town in Victoria, Australia, Trav excelled in swimming and surfing and went on to study physical education in college. He fell in love with the coaching aspect of physical training and eventually became one of the first people to franchise personal fitness training studios in Australia. After 16 years, he realized that he was disconnected from the purpose behind his mission and left the business. 

Trav is candid about his struggles with mild depression and finding his purpose after closing down his business. He discovered positive psychology, neuro-linguistic programming, and life coaching, which eventually led him to launch his career as a motivational speaker. He knew he wanted to help people have more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in both their work in their life. 

About eight years ago, he posed a question during a speaking event: What wakes you up in the morning? He had a lightbulb moment in that same session when someone in the audience referred to him as ‘the bucket list guy,’ and he developed his brand around that idea. 

Trav now runs the Certified Bucket List Coaching Program, is the author of The Bucket List Blueprint, host of The Bucket Life List Podcast, and has checked ‘TedX speaker’ off his own bucket list! He also oversees the Bucket List Foundation, which is a charity that gives bucket list wishes to terminally ill seniors. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about Trav’s regret-free lifestyle and why you shouldn’t wait to start checking things off your bucket list!  

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• How to use The Bucket List Blueprint to articulate a personally meaningful and holistic list
• The power of reverse engineering your goals
• Overcoming the ‘I’ll be happy when...’ syndrome
• Discovering the person that exists on the other side of your bucket list
• Taking real-life action that creates the forward momentum
• Recalibrating your work, happiness, and fulfillment
• Trav’s current bucket list for 2022

About Trav: 

• Bucket List Guy Website 
• Trav's Instagram
• Trav's Facebook
• Trav's LinkedIn
• Trav's Twitter
• The Bucket List Foundation Website
• The Bucket List Foundation Facebook

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want me to highlight on the podcast, DM it to me on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod

Follow Me:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter

Myk Likhov is an entrepreneur and widely recognized expert in the wellness industry. After receiving his MBA from world-renowned Wharton Business School, he realized that he was simply going through the motions and checking off the boxes that society expected of him. Instead of diving back into the investment world, he pursued his passion of starting a yoga company called Green Monkey. In his 4 years with the company, he grew it from concept to $900K revenue in 2010 to $2M revenue in 2011.

After exiting management and ownership of Green Monkey in 2011, Myk returned to the world of startups and consumer products. He leveraged his educational and professional background and was the COO of a financial product business. In 2015, he decided to pivot back into the wellness space by launching Modern OM. 

Modern OM is all about opening up a conversation around what it means to be spiritually engaged in our contemporary modern lives.  As Myk puts it, the family business is rooted in the mission to edge the world in the more conscious direction. He works alongside his mother and stepfather to create energy-infused jewelry and build a conscious community where they host daily in-person and online spirituality events and workshops. 

In 2022, Myk is looking forward to expanding Modern OM and is on a journey to facilitating conversations about what it feels and looks like to be spiritual. Listen in on today’s episode to learn more about how Myk balances business and spirituality and his advice for people who are looking to go on a similar journey! 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• How external pressures stifled Myk’s true passions and interests from a young age 
• The benefits and highlights of running a family business 
• Shifting from the overachiever mentality to building a soulful career
• The inspiration behind the name and concept of “Modern OM” 
• Myk’s tips for how to stay grounded and aligned with your mission while growing a business 
• Practicing meditation for ourselves versus practicing for the benefit of others
• How to get started on your mediation journey

About our guest: 

• Myk's Instagram
• Myk's LinkedIn
• Modern OM Instagram
• Modern Om Website

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want us to highlight on the podcast, DM it to us on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod
• Listeners of the pod can get a free chapter of Barry’s book, Brilliant: The Basics. Simply go to getbusylivinpodcast.com/brilliant to download it now. 

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter
• Barry’s Website
• Barry’s LinkedIn

Over his 20 year career, Paul McLean has helped develop corporate culture, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills for a number of multinational corporations such as Qlik, Samsung, Konica Minolta, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific, SAVVIS Inc., WAM!NET Inc. and Canon. Paul is now a senior leader at Palo Alto Networks, a top cyber security company, and specializes in talent development and human performance. 

In 2016, Paul had the opportunity to visit Uganda through a corporate social responsibility trip. While volunteering with We See Hope, Paul faced a turning point in his life and was moved and  inspired to create a children’s charity. He realized the power of children and wanted to help underprivileged children access education in order to help them reach their potential. 

After his eye-opening trip, Paul created Dreams for Life with the mission of building smart communities and prosperous futures for underprivileged children. The program is based on the Montessori method to encourage both education and life skills. It also helps develop community members as educators and school administrators. 

Their latest project, The Sumba Smart Centre, just broke ground and will provide teacher wages and training, plus education for 79 Kindergarten-aged children. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about Paul’s inspiring mission and how he’s using his corporate background to uplift Indonesian communities. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• How Paul decided on starting Dreams for Life in Indonesia
• The “Montessori in a Box” method and rethinking early childhood education
• How $395 can educate a community of 60 kids for a year with Montessori in a Box
• The importance of self reflection and self awareness when it comes to growth mindset
• What Paul has learned being a leader in the corporate and nonprofit world
• Details on Paul’s latest projects, including the Sumba Smart Centre and Giving Back Sunday

About our Guest: 

• Dreams for Life Website
• Dreams For Life Instagram
• Paul's LinkedIn

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want us to highlight on the podcast, DM it to us on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod
• Listeners of the pod can get a free chapter of Barry’s book, Brilliant: The Basics. Simply go to getbusylivinpodcast.com/brilliant to download it now.

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Barry’s Website
• Barry’s LinkedIn

Joy McAdams is what you call a growth mindset guru. In today’s episode, she shares how her emotional intelligence and positive self-discipline has helped propel her business, social media following, athletic training, and family forward.

With her medical consulting agency, she helps medical professionals embrace social media, digital marketing, and relationship building so that they get the referrals they need. She also helps clients develop the communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence skills needed for a thriving practice. 

Her racing resume includes the Rim2Rim2Rim race, running 46 miles of the Grand Canyon in less than 24 hours, as well as 6 IRONMAN Triathlons. In today’s episode, she shares her recent experience of running the Boston Marathon to raise money for Boston Children’s Hospital. Working with the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has helped her dig deeper and overcome mindset barriers. 

But, she’s not slowing down yet! Joy also shares her goals for 2022 and beyond, including writing a book, creating content to help guide people, and qualifying for the 140.6 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. Tune in to hear our inspiring conversation with Joy and learn more about tapping into your growth mindset. 

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Simplecast, or on your favorite podcast platform. 

Topics Covered:

• How sharing her athletic journey and growth mindset on LinkedIn helped Joy expand her business
• Ways that she’s raising her 5 children to embrace adversity and grow from struggles
• What is “positive self-discipline” and how Joy uses that method to manage her busy life
• How working with patient partners in the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has brought new meaning to her training
• The two mentors that have had a huge impact on Joy’s life

About our guest: 

• Joy McAdams' Instagram 
• Joy McAdams’ LinkedIn
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Website 
• Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Instagram

Special Offers: 

• If there’s a topic or charity you want us to highlight on the podcast, DM it to us on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod
• Listeners of the pod can get a free chapter of Barry’s book, Brilliant: The Basics. Simply go to getbusylivinpodcast.com/brilliant to download it now.

Follow Us:

• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Website
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Instagram 
• Get Busy Livin’ Podcast Twitter
• Anne’s Website 
• Anne’s LinkedIn
• Anne’s Instagram
• Anne’s Twitter
• Barry’s Website
• Barry’s LinkedIn