Peace and Possibilities

At 17, she was a police cadet. And she remained on the force for 30 + years!

Kristen Ziman is a force to be reckoned with. Why? Because she was told she'd never be a leader on the police force.

And she simply didn't believe it.

Though early on she didn't have aspirations to be a leader in that regard, simply because there was no example of that possibility.

But then she started telling herself:

• Maybe it is possible
• Why not me?
• What will get me closer?

And reminding herself:

• Act as if
• Begin with the end in mind
• Go find people who care

It's your story and your path and if you're always trying to better yourself, you will get there.

I couldn't agree more!

Something else we both agree with:

People on the sidebar are critics who aren't doing anything. So don't listen to them! Go find what works for you and make the difference in any way you can.

Finally, for any important decision, she always asks herself three things. Listen in to hear what they are.

More about Kristen:

Former Police Chief of the Aurora IL Police Department (Ret.) Speaker | Author | Leader | Change Agent Kristen is the former Police Chief of the Aurora IL Police Department (Ret.).

In Kristen's 30-year career in law enforcement, she blazed trails: she became the first woman Lieutenant in 2008, first woman Commander in 2010, and eventually the first woman Chief in her department's history in January of 2016. Kristen was also the Chief on watch during a mass shooting in her hometown Aurora, IL. Since retiring from the department, Kristen has now stepped into her new career as a professional speaker and consultant for organizations and police departments focused on the areas of leadership, women empowerment, positive psychology, and mass shooting prevention.

Kristen is also the author of Reimagining Blue: Thoughts on Life, Leadership, and a New Way Forward in Policing, a passionate and personal memoir of a misunderstood profession through the vantage point of a female police chief. https://kristenziman.com/press-kit/

And check out my bestselling book: Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Jason Harvin doesn't see himself as an artist.

But he is. You'll see when you check out his website.

He was raised in a blue collar, military home in Germany. And was taught to take the safe route.

As he grew older, he learned that being safe didn't always result in purposeful, passionate work. And he slowly wondered if this was really all there was to life. I'm sure some of us can relate.

So he became curious, then began to explore new things.

Painting slowly took over. Until it was his business and full time work.

And it was the best decision ever!

A few other things he's learned:

• Trust your instincts
• Focus on what and who is important
• Don't just ride the wave, be intentional

What might you possibly be if you didn't take the safe route?

More about Jason:

Jason Harvin is a self taught artist and painter specializing in geometric style interior art for homes and businesses. His work has been featured on HGTV's 100 Day Dream Home and can be found across Florida, primarily in the Tampa Bay Area. After picking up a paint brush for the first time in 2018, his work spread quickly throughout homes and businesses. By 2022 his company Wayward Walls, which had initially been a "side hustle", grew into his full time focus and career and he quit his longtime corporate career to focus fully on the business.

www.waywardwalls.com

https://linktr.ee/waywardwalls

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Did you read that subject line?

If not, here it is again: stop doing what you're not being valued for!

From boarding school to scientist and researcher, and finally a mom, Jacqueline Kerr was often in a competitive environment and always did well. With grit and hard work, she exceled.

But not expressing her needs and emotions cost her. She was burnt out and felt ashamed. I'm guessing there are a lot of women reading this who can relate.

We women, I know because I am one, struggle more with this than men. We think we need to do it all with a smile on our faces, and say yes to everything that is asked of us.

Here are many great insights she's discovered:

• Track each YES and NO; notice the imbalance
• The activities you do, are you doing them out of love?
• What are you resenting?
• We can always learn more, but let's celebrate how we're growing
• And make sure we DON'T go back to who we were.

Think about it. What would be the point?

Going back to who we were would only negate the valuable lessons. And then the growth, pain, and stress would all be for naught.

Why would we do that?

More about Jacqueline:

Dr Jacqueline Kerr is a behavior scientist and burnout survivor. She is in the top 1% of most cited scientists worldwide and received over $56 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to research health behavior change solutions for individuals and communities. Dr Kerr left her position as a public health professor in 2018 and now hosts the podcast 'Overcoming Working Mom Burnout' where she interviews researchers, diversity experts, and leadership coaches. She is on a mission to dismantle the causes of burnout, to prevent burnout through comprehensive strategic planning for employee well being aligned with DEIB, and to create sustainable and impactful organizational change informed by her two decades as a behavior change and implementation scientist and practitioner. Her TEDx talk (How to stop burnout before it starts) explains how burnout is a multi-level problem and provides actionable solutions that we can all use to change the social norms around burnout based on behavior change science.

www.DrJacquelineKerr.com

https://youtu.be/9YY0gVnVPoQ TEDx talk How to stop burnout before it starts

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacqueline-kerr-a62581173/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Marshan Allen was locked up at age 15. I know that's not typically how I start my introductions. But this one is unique.

I came across his story when it was featured at Illinois Tech, because he is pursuing his law degree. That's not unique, but his journey there is very unconventional.

And while reading it, I was incredibly inspired.

After years of being incarcerated, he is now a law student and ready to change the world for the better. Marshan is determined to make sure others don't have to endure what he so bravely did.

Here are a few of the biggest lessons he's learned:

• Education is the answer
• Keep an open mind, always
• You really just never know what will happen
• Learn new skills
• You can always make improvements

Keep asking yourself: what speaks to you?

Oh, and dream bigger. There really is so much that's possible.

Listen to Marshan, you'll see.

More about Marshan:

Before joining Represent Justice, Marshan has been employed as a Research and Policy Fellow with Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), the Policy Director for the Restore Justice Foundation (RJ), and a Starbucks Barista and Supervisor. He received a sentence of life-without-parole for his minor role in an offense that occurred when he was 15 years of age but was released after almost 25 years because of the US Supreme Court's decision in Miller vs Alabama. Since his release in 2016, Marshan has become staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his advocacy work.

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

My guest this week, Sam Collins, tells me and us: don't compare yourself to others, nothing good ever comes of it. I couldn't agree more!

Compare yourself to yourself. Have you grown since last week, last month, last year? That's what matters! Are you growing and learning a little everyday?

And while you are not comparing yourself to others, you'll have more time to do things like tune in to people and discover what you can offer them.

Give them sincere encouragement.

And finally, you (and I and all of us) need to chill.

And when you are Dr. Sam Collins, you can aspire, inspire, and go M.A.D. That's where I met her, several years ago, doing all that great work.

Now go out there and see how you can make a difference.

Reinvent yourself. Move forward. And stop CYTO (comparing yourself to others). For crying out loud!

More about Sam:

Radio Heaven - https://www.amazon.com/Radio-Heaven-Womans-Journey-Grace/dp/B08C98YXQQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20Y7IIIJ9GAHO&keywords=radio+heaven+sam+collins&qid=1659353117&sprefix=%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1

Rebellious - https://www.amazon.com/Rebellious-Women-Broke-Rules-Changed/dp/B0B3S8BQCN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36SFGC52L12I3&keywords=rebellious+sam+collins&qid=1659353139&sprefix=rebellious+sam+collins%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1

Podcast on Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-sam-collins-podcast-stripped-back/id1533811424

Podcast on Aspire Website - https://aspireforequality.com/podcast/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

My guest this week (and my 135th guest), is the energetic, sweet, and funny Oscar Garcia. Oh, and he's very inspirational as well. You'll see what I mean right away.

I love his energy. He comes from a big family and had to work his way up, every step of the way. Sound familiar?

He assures us that crap can be, and is, fertilizer. You'll have to listen in to see what he means.

Oscar recommends, if we want to shake it up, achieve more, get more satisfaction, that we may need to change our sphere of influence. What is that? The people who are influencing you regularly.

Surround yourself with better people who are making you think and grow. People who challenge you to do better will help you become better.

And he encourages us to taste opportunity now. Right now.

Just try.

Like Oscar explained, and if you're a really good parent or mentor, you've said it a thousand times, you don't know until you try,

Try something different. Try something new, try a new question or conversation. You could be pleasantly surprised. You will more than likely, be pleasantly surprised.

So get out there and try. As the famous quote from the movie Shawshank Redemption goes: "Get busy living, or get busy dying".

I wish I said that!

More about Oscar:

He is the Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer of Aspira Consulting, a Silicon Valley training and consulting firm providing culturally relevant career and leadership programs. Oscar's career journey includes business development roles at five startups, co-founding a nonprofit, Chamber President & CEO, and Community Partnerships Manager at LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefempowermentofficer

https://twitter.com/leadandconnect

Aspira Consulting YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXD101Azi9FBemWyTXJlzg

Aspira Consulting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspiraconsultinginc/

Career Talk with OG Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/career-talk-with-og/id1530311004

Oscar's email: [email protected]

Aspira Consulting website: https://www.aspiraconsulting.com

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Tarzan Kay is quite the entrepreneur. Even if you don't own a business or desire to be your own boss, she has a lot of wisdom to share that just may help you on your journey.

Like me, she's always learning and loves to figure out what works and what doesn't. If you think about it, how else are you going to figure out what kind of life you want to create and LIVE?

Before she was a successful business owner, she was a successful copywriter. And it's no surprise. As a small child, she wrote that she would be a writer someday.

She believes that part luck/part talent/part going for it helped make her successful.

• Giving yourself time
• Simplify your life and surroundings
• Know when they are NOT your people
• Try things
• Fail, yes fail. (She hates failing, but those failures are the most important lessons)
• The harder things are, the more growth you have
• Have compassion for yourself and others

You will love her energy and spirit, and you will learn a few important things.

More about Tarzan:

Tarzan Kay is an email marketing expert who teaches how to sell big with truth-infused, story-based emails.

• Insta Feed
• • https://www.instagram.com/tarzan_kay/
  • Instagram: @tarzan_kay
• LinkedIn
• • https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarzankay
  • LinkedIn: @tarzankay
• FB
• • https://www.facebook.com/tarzankayspage/

Facebook: @tarzankayspage

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

From poverty, homelessness, and child abuse to $100,000.

My guest this week, Michael Anthony, is a speaker, author, and podcaster who knows what he wants.

But as a young adult, after years of enduring incredible hardships, he was chasing money. And though he was successful, it seemed, he couldn't maintain the façade for long. He had a goal and he reached it, but with that accomplishment came more weight, more smoking, and more stress. And finally at almost 26 years old, he hit rock bottom.

Now he is finally aligned with his values, and he encourages us to be.

Michael also welcomes us to use the resources at hand. There are usually more resources than you realize. I would beg to differ there are ALWAYS more resources than you realize.

And remember, in general, your issue is likely not life or death. If you're that miserable in any job, quit already!

It will teach you who you are. It will teach you who you need to be. It will definitely help you grow.

Finally, once you've made a choice and then realize it's wrong, good! It's info; stop wasting your time! Acknowledge it and move on to the next thing.

One thing is for sure, after you listen to our conversation, you will have a new perspective. And you just might be moved to make that change. The one that's going to make the difference.

That's all I can ask.

More about Michael:

Since 2016, Michael has empowered over 100,000 trauma survivors to get out of The Vortex, learn to love themselves, and become the hero of their own story. Michael has written multiple books including the best seller Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma, spoken in over 80 countries, won investments from Undercover Billionaire Grant Cardone, and is on a mission to end Generational Trauma in his lifetime.

About Think Unbroken:

Our mission is to empower trauma survivors with the tools and curriculum of Think

Unbroken to get unstuck, learn to love themselves, get "Out of The Vortex" and reclaim their power. We believe that by creating palatable and practical tools that Trauma Warriors around the world can overcome their past, heal from trauma, and BECOME THE HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY!

https://www.thinkunbroken.com/speak

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

When she was younger, my guest this week was mostly concerned with getting a job, on the books.

What do I mean by that? You'll have to listen in to see.

As Daniela Pierre-Bravo worked, and worked, and built resilience, she made no excuses. And she learned, over the course of time, that her work speaks for itself. Indeed!

She also learned these things:

• To stop chasing
• To cultivate ease, authority, and confidence
• To think this more often: "How cool is that?"
• To create "mentor" moments

And her DON'Ts:

• Don't need a pat on the back
• Don't need permission
• Don't wait for your mentor

And finally, community is what really matters...she ought to know. She built one from scratch. Oh, and come to think of it, so did I.

And actually, so do all of us. Now get going and build!

More about Daniela:

https://www.danielapierrebravo.com/

https://www.legacylitbooks.com/titles/daniela-pierre-bravo/the-other/9780306925443/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

You do not want to miss this podcast!

Chris Block is nothing short of inspiring. His attitude is a delight and his story is so…how do I explain it? Maybe you can come up with a word. (Email me after you listen and tell me what word you would use to describe his story.)

He tells us to get comfortable. And to grow, achieve, and try, so you can thrive.

When describing a certain, very special experience, he uses the words calm, tranquil, and surreal. It's a natural high, where you feel no pain, and are free to float in utter bliss.

Oh, and once you listen, you'll understand why he says Diveheart people are JUST SO SELFLESS. (I agree - look them up!)

Chris is utterly amazed at all of their sacrifices, just so he can have this once (or twice) in-a-lifetime experience.

More about Chris:

https://youtu.be/z65XIuxkl-M

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book