Premier Chess: Conquer the Game; Master Your Life

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In Episode 193, I converse with Chloe Godin, Licensed Real Estate Broker with The Agency.
Chloe maintains dual Swiss-U.S. citizenship and has extensive experience living in the UK, Belgium and France. This unique international sensibility combined with a deep knowledge of local real estate makes Chloe a valuable resource for foreign investors in addition to local buyers and sellers.

In addition to real estate, Chloe has an accomplished background in international relations and communications. After earning a dual Master’s in International Relations from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and Sciences Po (Paris), Chloe worked as a consultant on a variety of projects for international organizations such as the UN Security Council and World Bank, in areas ranging from technology and biometrics, to terrorism, law enforcement, and domestic and foreign secret services. She  is also involved in the Jewish Community as a Senior Fellow at Manhattan Jewish Experience.

We speak about a comparison of life in Switzerland and the U.S.A, the requirement to fight in New York, growth in Judaism, her thoughts on The Queen's Gambit,  real estate broker stereotypes, New York real estate trends, creative social media videos, the importance of consistency and more. 

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In Episode 192, I converse with National Master Josh Sinanan, President of the Washington Chess Federation.  He is on the board of other chess nonprofits, including Chess Mates Foundation, Northwest Chess Foundation, and Chess Enrichment Association, and  teaches after-school chess classes in about 10 different Seattle-area schools.

We speak about the Seattle chess scene, motivation for high-schoolers to continue playing chess, book recommendations, his talks at Amazon and Microsoft with our 154th Podcast Guest Jim Egerton, Author of Business on the Board, the latest initiatives of the Washington Chess Federation, top tips for chess improvement, a testimonial for Chessable and more. 

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In Podcast Episode 191, I have the pleasure and honor of conversing with Grandmaster Pascal Charbonneau, CFA. He is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Vazirani Asset Management, LLC, a hedge fund focused on special situations and event driven trading. He is also the founder of GM Pascal Advisory, which offers separately managed accounts to qualified investors. He is also a Chess Grandmaster, renowned chess commentator and lecturer. He is a twice champion of Canada.

We speak about top players building stamina through sports, his development as a chess player in Montreal, chess informats, sparring with Grandmaster Alex Lesiege, reasons more universities should award chess scholarships, the importance of networking, chess puzzles in finance, his win against Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, and more.

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In Podcast Episode 190, I converse with Candidate Master Brian Karen, who is ranked within the top 3% of tournament chess players by the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and Federation Internationale Des Échecs (FIDE). Brian has had to demonstrate exceptional instincts at motivating, relating to, and teaching children chess in order to succeed as a chess coach. Brian has been the co-director of the acclaimed USDAN Chess program since 1997. He is coach at the three time Long Island Chess Champion Friends Academy. He is the director of chess programs for the Roslyn School District, The Long Island School for the Gifted, and The St. Patrick chess program. He is the administrator and founder of two well known Facebook groups Chess Collectors and FIDE World Championship 2023. He teaches school programs and private lessons in Long Island.

We speak about suggestions for adult improvers,  reasons to get better in chess, time management, tips for new chess coaches, differences between private lessons and school programs, brodcasting the 1995 Anand-Kasparov Match, Facebook group management, the importantance of collaboration among chess teachers and more. 

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In Podcast Episode 189,  have the privilege of conversing with Candidate Master Danilo Cuellar, who teaches a lot of our virtual programs and in-person classes in Rockland County and New Jersey.  He has been has been playing chess and teaching in Rockland County, Westchester and New Jersey for 20+ years. Danilo tied for 1st in the 1997 New York State Open Class "B" division. He is also a massage therapist, acupuncturist, and chinese herbalist and writes on a variety of topics, including  Voluntaryism, Agorism, Precious Metals, Anarcho-Capitalism, Austrian Macroeconomics, Statism, The Federal Reserve, and Libertarianism.

We speak about his thoughts on The Queen's Gambit, ways to get more women involved in chess, homeschooling curriculum development, his kids learning chess by osmosis, the art of time management,  online chess versus over-the-board chess, the healing process and more. 

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In Episode 188, I converse with Andrej Milic, Esq United States Immigration Attorney at Santana Rodriguez Law P.A. He represents foreign clients in affirmative petitions with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”), as well as provides direct representation at interviews and in deportation proceedings before the U.S. Immigration Courts. His firm handles Family-based and Marriage-based Residency, Naturalization, Deportation Defense (including Asylum, Cancellation of Removal, and Waivers), and Appeals for previously denied cases. Andrej also serves as the Director of Admissions at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - School of Law.

We speak about dining at Mr. Broadway in Manhattan, restauraunt recommendations in Miami,  his connections to the Jewish community, the massive migration of New Yorkers to Miami, his grandfather's holocaust story, the current news of immigration in a nutshell, the intersection of litigation and chess, and more. 

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In Episode 187, I converse with Joe Apfelbaum,  CEO & Founder of Ajax Union A B2B Digital Marketing Agency.  The agency's team of experts help B2B businesses with SEM, SEO, Social Media, Email Marketing, Conversion Optimization, Marketing Automation, Business Blogging, Marketing Funnel Development, Design and Development and more.

We speak about the importance of strategy in chess and marekting, testing, ideal clients, his two favorite books Getting Things Done and Positive Intelligence, the art of competitive advantage, time management as a business owner and Orthodox Jew, judging vs. evaluating, the benefits of breathing, his passion for scuba diving, and more. 

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In Episode 186, I converse with Rabbi Mendy Brukirer, Director of Outreach at Olami Manhattan. Olami Manhattan, formerly known as Meor Manhattan, has been building and cultivating a vibrant community of Jewish young professionals that is changing Jewish life in the heart of New York City, and is moving the needle for the future of the Jewish people.

Growing up in the New York area, Mendy is descended from more than 20 generations of rabbis. He studied in the Harvard of the Yeshiva world, Brisk, and received rabbinic ordination as well as a first rabbinic degree from the Jerusalem Kollel. He has previously worked as an editor and is a qualified shochet (ritual slaughterer) as well!

Mendy was head of the Oorah Jerusalem Chillzone, a program dedicated to providing a family experience for American University students spending a gap year in Jerusalem. Mendy was the Director of Aish Essex in Northeast London creating programs for young Jews, preparing young couples for their weddings and the Brukirer home has become legendary as a hub for people in the area and beyond.

We speak about the art of giveaways, the December 2021 issue of Chess Life Magazine, his passion for hospitality, prophets, thought process in Talmud study and chess, circles of happiness, and more.  Rabbi Avi Blachman, Director of Education at OIami Manhattan makes a special guest appearance. 

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In Episode 185, I converse with David Shriner-Cahn, Host of Smashing the Plateau and Founder of the Smashing the Plateau Community. He hosts two podcasts to help you build your consulting business following a late career job loss, so that you can do what you love and get paid what you're worth:

• Smashing the Plateau -- growing your consulting business
• Going Solo -- launching your consulting business

Check out my recent appearance on Smashing the Plateau entitled "What Chess Can Teach Us About Being Prepared for the Unexpected Featuring Evan Rabin". 

Inside the Smashing the Plateau Community, consultants come together to meet and support one another, get answers to burning questions, learn from experts, participate in growth challenges, and more.

We speak about his biggest lessons from podcasting, breakthroughs, transitioning from engineering to business, the art of soul searching, the importance of proactivity, reacting to change, strategy and execution in business and chess, the art of resiliency and more. 

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In Episode 184, I converse with Dr. Nava Silton, a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Marymount Manhattan College. Nava has written over three dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, over twenty chapters, book reviews and encyclopedia entries, and has edited six full textbooks, in addition to the comic series "Real Abilities". She produced the children's musical Addy and Uno and the dating game "Bashert". She has also been an active leader in Jewish community, leading volunteer bikur holim groups and helping run the Ohab Zedek Youth Department. Check out my appearance on our her podcast entitled "Discussing How Colorful Chess Can Be for Developing Brain". 

We speak about the construct of grit, emotional intelligence, creativity, the juggling of responsibilities, life as a chess mom, the chess community at large, her stash of 50 chess sets, adult chess improvement, The Queen's Gambit, ideas for human development, pillars of happiness, chess as vehicle to overcome disabilities, the art of matchmaking, and more.