Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Christian Modjaiso, Founder and CEO of Observe, an organization with a mission to help extremely stressed people deal with their suffering by observing it for themselves, enabling them to find a permanent solution to their problem in a way that is customized to their situation. Christian Modjaiso reveals the suffering he has endured, including suicidal attempts on two occasions. Christian relays what he has learned and gives advice for those dealing with stress and depression. Episode Highlights: 

 

• Why did Christian Modjaiso decide to be an Onward Podcast guest? 
• What is Observe about and what pushed Christian to do this work?  
• What was it like for Christian to transition from the Congo in Africa to the United States? 
• What sparked Christian’s interest in human suffering? 
• How did Christian deal with his suicidal thoughts? 
• How do you make time for dealing with your stress if you are busy? 
• Make your mental health a priority in your life. 
• Emily Harman talks about how she personally applied the Observe approach. 
• How does Christian help people? 
• The more we are able to understand how thoughts and emotions function, the more we can apply them consciously. 
• How did Christian’s father take to him taking on an online business?  
• How have observation sessions benefitted Christian? 
• What would Christian say to someone who is currently suicidal? 
• Christian Modjaiso talks about lessons learned from yoga.  

3 Key Points:

1. Even though we may not be able to totally eradicate stress from our lives, we can develop greater control over our thoughts and emotions, thus enabling us to live more peacefully, rather than being at the mercy of our thoughts and emotions.
2. The more we observe our stress, the less control it will have on us. 
3. The Observe Approach is a simple but powerful tool that they can use to deal with any problem that is stressing us out.   

Tweetable Quotes:

• “If I want to learn history, I need to rely on people. But if I want to learn about my own anger, I don’t need to rely on anyone. Not even a book. Not even an anger expert. I can sit down and look at my own anger.” – Christian Modjaiso
• “You don’t even need to worry about what the solution is going to be to a stressful situation. Once you have made enough observation, the solution naturally comes to you.” – Christian Modjaiso 
• “Eating is a priority. So, we make time for eating. We make time for drinking, all of that. Typically, why this observation of one’s emotions and the body and thoughts is not being done is because it is not considered a priority.” – Christian Modjaiso 

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Christian Modjaiso: Linkedin
• OBSERVE approach
• Free My Life Sucks coaching session for members of your audience who are so extremely stressed, that they are convinced that their life sucks. Here's the link to it.
• Contact Christian to ask questions about stress and how to deal with it. 
• Sadhguru
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Emily Harman
• Soul Pajamas
• Onward: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Onward Facebook Group
• PodcastPress

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Christian Modjaiso, Founder and CEO of Observe, an organization with a mission to help extremely stressed people deal with their suffering by observing it for themselves, enabling them to find a permanent solution to their problem in a way that is customized to their situation.

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Lisa Spector. Dog and cat lovers call Lisa The Pet Calming Maestro. Music lovers know her as the heart-centered woman who inspires through music and story. Colleagues call her The Pianopreneur. From the very first moment she heard her mother play piano when she was seven, Lisa’s fingers were a magnet to the keys. A bad fall in June of 2017 shattered Lisa’s right hand and inspired her to find another voice. After three surgeries for seven complicated fractures, she dove into music for left hand only. It wasn’t easy, emotionally or physically. Listen to this episode and learn how Lisa realized it only appeared music came from her hands. She really makes music with her heart.  Episode Highlights: 

• Emily Harman introduces Lisa Spector.
• Lisa Spector shares how she crushed her right hand in a bizarre fall.   
• What is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)?
• What caused Lisa to fire her first physical therapist?
• It is important to advocate for yourself.
• Lisa shares what first came to her mind when she fell. 
• What made Lisa feel that injuring her hand was a blessing in disguise? 
• Could Lisa tell before her accident that the universe was trying to make her aware of something?
• The universe whispers at first and then gets louder and louder until we pay attention.
• Lisa talks about left-handed pianists. 
• What did it take for Lisa to get into The Juilliard School and to graduate? 
• How did she first start playing the piano? 
• What did Lisa do after she graduated from Julliard?  
• Lisa tells a story about being chosen to play for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.
• How has Lisa addressed her difficult times? 
• Lisa said that her recovery was 80-90% mental. 
• What is required for Lisa Spector to use her right hand for playing piano? 
• What does an agility dog do?  

 

3 Key Points:

1. Lisa Spector developed a rare neurological disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) that often affects middle-aged women who have had trauma to their hand or their foot. 
2. Lisa Spector is writing a memoir book called Left-Hand Lemonaid: A Musician’s Journey of Turning Tragedy into Triumph.
3. You never know how the universe is going to deliver you gifts in what seems like tragedies at the time.    

Tweetable Quotes:

• “I would say, whether it is a musical instrument, whether its a sport, whether it is anything else in life you love that brings you joy. No matter what set-backs you’ve had, there is always a way to do that thing that you love.” – Lisa Spector
• “I realized that, thank God that it was only my hand. Because if it hadn’t been my hand, it would have been something that I think could have killed me.” – Lisa Spector
• “The best things in life happen by accident.” – Lisa Spector

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Lisa Spector: Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube 
• lisaspector.com
• lisaspector.com/play-on
• Through a Dog’s Ear, music for pet anxiety, launched on The CBS Early Show. 
• Gina, Lisa’s 10-year-old Lab, earned her PDCH (Performance Dog Championship) with a 1st place Snooker run. Her run is on this page.
• gofundme.com/f/HelpHealLisasHand
• Emily Harman
• Soul Pajamas
• Onward: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Onward Facebook Group
• PodcastPress

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Lisa Spector. Dog and cat lovers call Lisa The Pet Calming Maestro. Music lovers know her as the heart-centered woman who inspires through music and story. Colleagues call her The Pianopreneur. From the very first moment she heard her mother play piano when she was seven, Lisa’s fingers were a magnet to the keys. A bad fall in June of 2017 shattered Lisa’s right hand and inspired her to find another voice.

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Jane McLelland, Author of How to Starve Cancer Without Starving Yourself. From 1994 until 2004, Jane battled two aggressive cancers with metastatic spread. Both cancers were classified as terminal. Using her medical knowledge and research, Jane put together a cancer-starving formula, using natural therapies, exercise and diet. When faced with weeks to live as the result of a second cancer, Jane put together a unique cocktail of old, ‘off-label’ drugs and her cancer ‘melted away’. Jane and Emily discuss Jane’s cancer starving approach and her ground-breaking book.   Episode Highlights: 

• Emily Harman shares her former husband’s recent cancer diagnosis. 
• Jane McLelland talks about being diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1994.
• What choices did Jane make regarding intravenous Vitamin C?
• Jane shares the impact of her doctor’s misdiagnosis of her cancer.  
• What does Jane mean by ‘We’re all guinea pigs?’ 
• Jane McLelland explains the conflict of interest between old medicine and new medicine. 
• Jane shares her thoughts on chemotherapy. 
• Sometimes you don’t want to know that you are really sick. 
• What does Jane recommend we do to prevent cancer? 
• You should be eating for energy and nutrition. Poor food choices can create health problems.   
• The mind’s role in healing disease needs to be taken more seriously.  
• What conflicts with doctors and family members can arise for a cancer patient?  
• How can a friend be supportive of a cancer patient?  
• Unfortunately, hospitals don’t offer healthy food.  
• Sugar feeds cancer. 
• Jane discusses her determination to have children and how her dreams came true.

 

3 Key Points:

1. When faced with health issues, you must advocate for yourself.
2. Many simple old drugs have been overlooked in the race for the latest patentable cancer drugs.
3. Each cancer patient needs a personalized approach. If you want to explore integrative cancer treatments, Jane’s book can help. 

Tweetable Quotes:

• “Suddenly, I had to do this mental switch from grieving to think, ‘Right, well there is no point grieving because I’m going to be dead anyway, unless I actually do something fairly positive.’” – Jane McLelland
• “With a Stage 4 (cancer) diagnosis, I think it is always worth having a second opinion.” – Jane McLelland
• “We’re all guinea pigs of the big pharmaceutical companies. That is what we are. As a cancer patient, we’re just the ticket for keeping this whole system going. Let’s try a new drug. They don’t want there to be an answer.” – Jane McLelland

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Jane McLelland: Linkedin
• How to Starve Cancer Website
• How to Starve Cancer Book
• Jane McLelland Off-Label Drugs For Cancer Facebook Group
• How to Starve Cancer Facebook | Instagram
• Emily Harman
• Soul Pajamas
• Onward Facebook Group
• Onward: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook 
• PodcastPress

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, interviews Jane McLelland, Author of How to Starve Cancer Without Starving Yourself. From 1994 until 2004, Jane battled two aggressive cancers with metastatic spread. Both cancers were classified as terminal. Using her medical knowledge and research, Jane put together a cancer-starving formula, using natural therapies, exercise and diet.

Emily Harman, host of Onward Podcast, interviews Natasha O'Banion, Owner of Walk with Renzo and Ruby Inc. Natasha discusses how family challenges forced her to grow up quickly. She shares how she worked her way up in the automotive industry, experienced burn-out, and then transitioned from the automotive business to starting a dog walking business. At age 33, Natasha is location independent - able to run her successful business from anywhere in the world. Natasha also opens about how she handled a sexual harassment incident she experienced earlier in life while she was studying ballroom dancing. Episode Highlights: 

• Emily Harman and Natasha O'Banion when they first met and connected. 
• Natasha talks about early family issues and working in the automotive industry. 
• How did Natasha start her own business and become location-independent? 
• How many clients does Walk with Renzo and Ruby, Inc. serve? 
• How has Natasha handled self-doubt?  
• How did Natasha learn the core elements of business? 
• What have been the biggest challenges in running her own business? 
• Natasha shares information about her dancing hobby.  
• How did Natasha’s brother’s drug activity affect her life?
• How has Natasha benefited from counseling and coaching? 
• Natasha talks about the traveling she has been doing with her family.  
• How did Natasha select her daughter’s name? 
• How does Natasha maintain her clients and stand out from the competition?   
• Stay the course with whatever you are doing. 

3 Key Points:

1. At the age of 33, Natasha O’Banion owns a successful business and is location independent.
2. How people treat you is their burden to keep. Acknowledge what happened and move on. 
3. Counseling has enabled Natasha to move onward.

 

Tweetable Quotes:

• “What I realized that is very powerful is that everyone’s life choices are just that, they are their life choices.’” – Natasha O'Banion
• “I thought I needed all these stats in my head before I could get started. But then my husband brought me back to ‘just keep it simple stupid,’ he says, ‘no, they don’t have what you have. You are the client.’” – Natasha O'Banion on starting her successful business. 
• “I always tell people, ‘just keep it simple stupid.’ Take care of people. Treat people how you want to be treated. Be consistent. If you say you are going to do something, do it, and once you do it, follow up.” – Natasha O'Banion on running her successful business.

 

Resources Mentioned:

• Natasha O'Banion’s Linkedin and Email
• OBworldy Facebook
• Walk with Renzo and Ruby Inc. Facebook
• Walk with Renzo and Ruby Website
• Dog Walking Business Coaching Email
• Pet Care Rock Stars podcast
• Emily Harman
• Onward Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
• Onward Facebook Group
• PodcastPress
• Soul Pajamas

Emily Harman, host of Onward Podcast, interviews Natasha O'Banion, Owner of Walk with Renzo and Ruby Inc. Natasha discusses how family challenges forced her to grow up quickly. She shares how she worked her way up in the automotive industry, experienced burn-out, and then transitioned from the automotive business to starting a dog walking business. At age 33, Natasha is location independent - able to run her successful business from anywhere in the world.

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, offers something special for this Veterans Day episode. Veterans Day, observed annually on November 11, is a tribute to military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Emily shares highlights from her previous interviews with veterans. Hear how these military veterans, past colleagues, and even Emily’s son and daughter share their personal stories of overcoming obstacles and moving onward. Everything from advocating for diversity and inclusion, living a long and vibrant life, sexism, discrimination, and cultural differences, as well as moving onward from addiction, coping with depression, and facing anxiety face-to-face. 

 

Featured Episodes: 

 

• “Ever Onward - The Voyage of a Transgender Navy Woman” with Paula Neira (06/17/2019)
• “Be Your Authentic Self - Even When the Law Says You Can’t” with Zoe Dunning (5/31/2019)
• “Don’t Let Anyone Tell You What You Can’t Do” with Rear Admiral Kyle Cozad (9/25/2019)
• “Hike Across America - The Unstoppable Tour” with TShane Johnson (9/11/2019)
• “Surviving Depression and Moving Onward” with Steven Iselin (05/31/2019)
• “A Journey Into and Out of the Fog of Depression” with Captain Todd Kruder, U.S. Navy, Retired and LCSW (07/08/2910)
• “A Mother and Son’s Discussion on Addiction and Recovery” with Emily Harman and William Wilhelm (7/29/2019)
• “Discussion Anxiety Out in the Open” with Anna Wilhelm and Chanielle Williams (07/01/2019)
• “Raising a Special Needs Child” with Valerie Muck (10/07/2019)
• “Building a 75+ Year Naval Career” with Mr. Sarkis Tatigian (07/15/2019)
• Special 4th of July Episode: “Family and Freedom” with Santiago and Sonia Valdizan (07/03/2019)
• “Own Your Life” with Adrienne Somerville (06/24/2019)
• “Nontraditional Paths to Success” with Neil McDonnell (05/31/2019)
• “What Are You Doing Here?” with Sheila McNeil (09/09/2019)

Resources Mentioned:

• Emily Harman
• Soul Pajamas
• Onward Facebook Group
• Onward: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
• PodcastPress

 

Emily Harman, the host of Onward Podcast, offers something special for this Veterans Day episode. Veterans Day, observed annually on November 11, is a tribute to military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Emily shares highlights from her previous interviews with veterans. Hear how these military veterans, past colleagues, and even Emily’s son and daughter share their personal stories of overcoming obstacles and moving onward.