Rest and Recreation

In July 2025 C.J. Shaman was described by the Wall Street Times as The Rock Outlaw Ready to Ignite the Music Scene.

Journalist Nic Abelian described C.J. as being from the windswept deserts of Arizona to the neon lights of Las Vegas, C.J. Shaman has carved a path as a dynamic rock artist who fuses the raw energy of country rhythms with the electrifying pulse of rock ‘n’ roll.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation C.J. Shaman discusses with host Michael Millward.

· His musical influences from discovering Elvis and Johnny Cash in his parents record collection to the punk rock and heavy metal of his elder brother’s collection.

• The inspiration for his latest album El Diablo del Ocho
• How he spends his free time
• The role of music as a unifier of all people

During their conversation Michael and C.J. discuss C.J’s cover of the Ricky Martin hit, Living la Vida Loca

Many music industry experts see C.J. Shaman as being on the verge of the big time. As a result, you might reasonably expect a guarded conversation. On the contrary C.J. Shaman provides an authentic insight in to the man behind the artist.

It is only when he talks about what will come next that C.J. keeps his cards close to his chest. There will be exciting things to come.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. You can as well. Visit Zencastr and use offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices to anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Madhur-Nain Webster is a licenced Marriage and Family therapist, and accomplished author. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Madhur-Nain discusses her latest book Beyond the Pain with host Michael Millward.

Many people structure to cope with the pain that is created by negative experiences like separation, divorce, bereavement, job loss. Each person deals with this pain in a different way. Some people allow the negative experience to control their future. This makes it difficult to move on from the negative experience.

In her conversation with Michael, Madhur-Nain describes how negative experiences impact our physical, mental, and emotional health. Madhur-Nain explains how anyone can take a proactive approach to managing how negative experiences impact them.

They explore the practical advice and tools that Madhur-Nain has included in her book Beyond the Pain.

This episode will inspire you to be honest about how you currently manage negative experiences, and provide some information about how you can improve how you manage these experiences.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. You can as well. Visit Zencastr and use offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices to anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Dr Kyle Elliott is the founder of Caffeinated Kyle a career coaching company focused on the sort of executives that work in places like Silicon Valley..

Kyle offers trauma-informed career coaching, interview coaching, and executive coaching for senior managers, executives, and C-suite leaders in technology companies.

You will find his clients working at Meta, Amazon, Google, and nearly every other tech giant you can imagine. Kyle’s approach helps his clients to find success at work and happiness in life.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Kyle explains to host Michael Millward how his own career trauma led to him reassessing life and work and creating a new way of living and working.

Michael and Kyle discuss what it means to be a workaholic and the impact that state of mind has on every aspect of life.

They also explore different ways to reassert your identity as an individual instead of a job title.

Kyle describes how he uses boundaries to manage the relationship between his work and his life.

Those boundaries include planning rest and recreation time and the activities that will fill that time, which for Kyle includes regular visits to Disneyland.

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. You can as well. Visit Zencastr and use offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices to Disneyland or anywhere else in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

WPLC.

Kate Ottavio Kent is a mother, wife and the founder of KOK PR in Connecticut USA. Kate is also a volunteer at Ridgebury Farm.

Ridgebury Farm provides equine based therapy that supports individuals of all backgrounds and abilities in working to become the best version of themselves.

A similar organisation in the UK is Riding for the Disabled. In 1975 the BBC Children’s TV show Blue Peter annual appeal raised funds to provide Riding for the Disabled with a new pony. Viewers voted in a poll to select the name and called the pony Rags.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Kate explains how she planned her work commitments to enable her to volunteer.

Michael and Kate share experiences of learning to horseback riding, and the benefits of spending time with horses.

Kate explains her volunteering role at Ridgebury Farm, and the impact she has helped to create for the people who receive therapeutic services at the farm.

You will leave this episode understanding that the rewards that volunteering provide make the effort required to volunteer well worthwhile.

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. So can you. Visit Zencastr and use offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers.

A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Parody often includes adult language. Please use headphones if listening in a public place.

Dee Pelisser, also known as Lady Laquelle is a musical parodist and drag performer.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Dee tells host Michael Millward about how they came to accept their gender fluidity discovered their passion for performance and creating parodies of songs they liked like The Banana Boat Song. or somethings loathed like Bubbly.

Dee explains parody referencing parodists like Paul Sherman and Weird Al Yankovic, Dee discusses the history of drag including Shakespear, pantomime, and TV shows like Are You Being Served.

Dee discusses the process of discovering their drag persona including references to drag performers like RuPaul and Paul O’Grady.

Dee reflects on performances at clubs like the Purple Rhino in Sarasota and the support they received from other drag performers like Berry Ayers, AKA Beneva Fruitville

At the time of recording Dee was preparing to move to Cleveland Ohio to further their performing career.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because it is so easy to use. So can you. Visit Zencastr and use offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices anywhere in the world at trade prices as a member of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – The Annual Health Test from York Test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests for 39 health markers. A Personal Wellness Hub provides easy-to-understand results and guidance for effective lifestyle changes anytime.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU. If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

We do hope to have made you think!

Be a Guest Visit Matchmaker.fm. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from WPLC.

Thank you for listening, liking, downloading and subscribing.

Michelle Clifton is a writer who created Taryn O’Kelly, a 26-year-old party planner who has a habit of getting involved in investigating murders.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation host Michael Millward meets author Michelle Clifton.

In a wide-ranging conversation Michelle explains to Michael why she started to write and how she found Taryn O’Kelly the protagonist of her series of cosy crime murder mysteries.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because creating podcasts on Zencastr is so easy, you can as well by visiting Zencastr and using our offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices anywhere in the world at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and holidays as members of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – York Test provides an Annual Health Test. An experienced phlebotomist will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests covering 39 different health markers are carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A Personal Wellness Hub gives access your easy-to-understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure, personal Wellness Hub account.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

Remember, the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abeceder is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think!

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Rest and Recreation, please contact Abeceder.

Matchmaker.fm introduce many guests to Rest and Recreation. Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and even greater guests are matched, and fantastic podcasts are hatched. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Dan Swift is a successful IT professional with a serious career with a large organisation.

When Dan goes home, in addition to being a committed family man Dan is also the host of the hit podcast Time to Discuss.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Dan Swift explains to host Michael Millward how the podcast Time to Discuss was created.

Dan explains how the job-hunting experiences of family members motivated him to create a podcast on that focuses on providing genuine careers advice.

Michael and Dan discuss the differences between how entertainment and sports stars like Brad Pitt and Shelley Winters manage their careers with a clear aim of the type of career and lifestyle they want to have. and how people with more conventional careers manage theirs.

They discuss how what you do away from work for rest and recreation can impact your ability to develop your career.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because creating podcasts on Zencastr is so easy, you can as well by visiting Zencastr and using our offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices anywhere in the world at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and holidays as members of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – York Test provides an Annual Health Test. An experienced phlebotomist will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests covering 39 different health markers are carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A Personal Wellness Hub gives access your easy-to-understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure, personal Wellness Hub account.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

Remember, the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abeceder is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think!

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Rest and Recreation, please contact Abeceder.

Matchmaker.fm introduce many guests to Rest and Recreation. Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and even greater guests are matched, and fantastic podcasts are hatched. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Connor Treacy has been a player in the entertainment industry since, aged 19, he hosted a party. Video of the party went viral and was covered by mainstream TV news channels.

He went on to become the man A-list celebrities asked to get them into the hottest clubs and organise the parties to launch their latest product or marketing collaboration,

Connor’s own star rose quickly in the nightlife and music industries. Pretty soon he was the person in the know about the people to know, and a great predicter of the next hot performers.

Eventually, Connor reached burnout and made radical changes to create his best life.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Connor Treacy explains to host Michael Millward how he defined his balance and what he did to achieve his personal balance.

Alongside stories of A-list encounters, you will hear Connor explain what he did to build a life based on his creativity.

This episode is launched to coincide with the launch of Connor’s latest music.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because creating podcasts on Zencastr is so easy, you can as well by visiting Zencastr and using our offer code ABECEDER.

Travel – at trade prices anywhere in the world at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and holidays as members of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – York Test provides an Annual Health Test. An experienced phlebotomist will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests covering 39 different health markers are carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A Personal Wellness Hub gives access your easy-to-understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure, personal Wellness Hub account.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

Remember, the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abeceder is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think!

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Rest and Recreation, please contact Abeceder.

Matchmaker.fm introduce many guests to Rest and Recreation. Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and even greater guests are matched, and fantastic podcasts are hatched. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.

Holiday makers are travelling with the intention of having more than just a break from work. Holiday Fixer Gemma Perry is seeing more people who want to feel rejuvenated, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Gemma Perry, the Holiday Fixer explains to host Michael Millward how holiday makers can ensure that they fulfil the well-beings aims of their holiday.

Gemma has recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Jamaica as a guest of the Tourist Board. The island says Gemma illustrates just how many well-being travel options are available for holiday makers.

Whilst in Jamaica Gemma visited Dunns River Falls and Mystic Mountain.

Other locations discussed include Hawaii, Grenada, Seychelles, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom.

Michael and Gemma, discuss how travelling to and returning from a holiday location should also be part of your well-being experience.

Gemma explains the research that she undertakes to identify the right location and type of experiences for her clients.

This podcast will inspire you to identify the best type of well-being break for you.

Rest and Recreation is Made on Zencastr, because creating on Zencastr is so easy.

If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr use our offer code ABECEDER.

Visit Abeceder for more information about Michael Millward, and Gemma Perry.

Proactive Positive Ageing.

It is always a good idea to know the risks early, so that you can take appropriate actions to maintain good health, that is why we recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test.

York Test provides an Annual Health Test. An experienced phlebotomist will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests covering 39 different health markers are carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A Personal Wellness Hub gives access your easy-to-understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure, personal Wellness Hub account.

Visit York Test and use this discount code ABECEDER2.

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Rest and Recreation, please contact Abeceder.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

Tech Problems?

If you are using your smartphone to listen to The Independent Minds and experienced connection problems, you would probably like to know that Three has the UK’s fastest 5G network with unlimited data, so listening on Three means that you can wave goodbye to buffering.

Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

Remember, the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abeceder is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think!

Thank you to you for listening.

Zac Russell is a life coach with a completely different approach to coaching.

In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Zac Russell explains to host Michael Millward how his approach to coaching is different.

You will be as enthralled as Michael by how Zac explains his approach.

Zac explains how the problems that his clients seek help resolving are created. The discussion includes descriptions of childhood experiences and how we learn to define the person we are.

When the end comes you will feel both relaxed and yet enthused to start a new life.

The time is always now!

Visit Abeceder for more information about Zac Russell and Michael Millward.

Audience Offers

Rest and Recreation is made on Zencastr, because creating podcasts on Zencastr is so easy, you can as well by visiting Zencastr and using our offer code ABECEDER.

Zac is based in Toronto Canada, listeners can travel to Canada and anywhere else in the world at trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and holidays as members of The Ultimate Travel Club.

Health – York Test provides an Annual Health Test. An experienced phlebotomist will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests covering 39 different health markers are carried out in a UKAS-accredited and CQC-compliant laboratory.

A Personal Wellness Hub gives access your easy-to-understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure, personal Wellness Hub account.

Visit York Test and use this discount code REST25.

Tech Problems? – Visit Three for information about business and personal telecom solutions from Three, and the special offers available when you quote our referral code WPFNUQHU.

If you have liked this episode of Rest and Recreation, please give it a like and download it. To make sure you do not miss future editions please subscribe.

Remember, the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abeceder is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think!

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Rest and Recreation, please contact Abeceder.

Matchmaker.fm introduce many guests to Rest and Recreation. Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and even greater guests are matched, and fantastic podcasts are hatched. Use code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

We recommend that potential guests take one of the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

Thank you to you for listening.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscription.