Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

Season Three, Episode 137

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn how to become a savvy international traveler in five easy steps. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine:

• I share a guide on traveling internationally "like a local" to foster empathy and growth, based on my family's recent trip to Singapore and Bali.
• The primary goal is to move beyond being a regular tourist by immersing yourself in local customs, cuisine, and community.
• Research Destinations and Timing: Identify the best time to visit to ensure favorable weather and avoid off-season pitfalls. 
• Utilize Diverse Information Sources: Use books, blogs, vlogs, and social media to learn about customs and traditions, while treating hotel reviews with a "grain of salt" unless safety concerns.
• Prioritize Flight Booking: Book flights first to secure reasonable pricing - I recommend direct flights for convenience.
• Immerse in Local Culture: Visit local markets and grocery stores, and ask taxi drivers for restaurant recommendations to avoid tourist traps.
• Interact Respectfully with Locals: Follow the principle of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" by abiding by local laws and customs, such as the ban on chewing gum in Singapore.
• Local Experience Recommendations
• Dining: Seek out "Warungs" (local family restaurants) for authentic, fresh, and reasonably priced homemade meals.
• Activities: Visit local libraries to appreciate architecture and understand national priorities, such as Singapore's program to fight "brain rot" through daily reading.
• Mindset: Approach travel with curiosity and kindness, recognizing the spiritual or cultural foundations of the region, such as Balinese Hinduism's emphasis on kindness to others, self, and nature.
• Travel Anecdotes - Bali Monkeys - listen to hear what happened.
• Personal Growth and Reflection, final seeds of sunshine: the importance of "Ma" (the Japanese concept of space/silence), practicing listening without interruption to better understand others.
• Emotional Takeaways: Travelers are encouraged to look beyond photos and focus on the memories, historical facts, and cultural lessons they carry home in their hearts.

To connect with me and buy my books, please follow me:

https://www.instagram.com/carmenseedsofsunshine

https://www.facebook.com/cmicsa

To purchase my tennis book Change Your Grip on Life Through Tennis and my poetry books on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01N0RWHPQ/allbooks?ccs_id=d9dfb474-711b-4bfc-95ed-d20fd089fcfb

To buy or sell your home with me and receive the best service, putting my 26 years of experience to work for you, check out my website and feel free to email or call me. 

https://dynamicsacramentohomes.com

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 136

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn about Sophia's college tips and how to make the most out of college life. 

Sophia Micsa is starting her second year in college as a biology major at UC Santa Barbara, and I am so proud to be her mother. We have done this podcast together for four years and look forward to continuing our intergenerational conversations with guests all over the world. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine:

• Sophia gives an accurate description of college life and experience, which includes being honest with her roommates and communicating well. 
• Speaking of roommates, Sophia had a fun experience meeting Adam Sandler and his family on campus. The movie Roommates, which he directed, screened at the Isla Vista Theatre. 
• Reflecting back on the first year in college, Sophia talks about better studying habits. 
• If you have kids in college, this episode will put your mind at ease and give you actionable advice. 

To connect with me and buy my books, please follow me:

Instagram

Facebook

To purchase my tennis book Change Your Grip on Life Through Tennis and my poetry books on Amazon:

https://bit.ly/43Ba2xX

To buy or sell your home with me and receive the best service, putting my 26 years of experience to work for you, check out my website and feel free to email or call me. 

Sacramento Real Estate | Carmen Micsa

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 135

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn about our guest, Rebecca Rosenberg, and her quest to beautifully depict ambitious and brilliant women in history whom she never learned about in her history classes. Rebecca does a splendid job in all her books, uncorking women's pasts across the globe, one glass at a time.

Bestselling Novelist | Champagne Historian | Globe-Trotter, Rebecca Rosenberg believes that every great woman, much like a fine vintage, deserves to be celebrated. Her mission is to shine a light on the spirited legacies of real-life women who changed the world, bringing their brilliance to modern readers with flair and inspiration.

Through her acclaimed CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS series, Rebecca highlights visionaries like Lily Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, and Madame Pommery — women who turned a regional wine into a global symbol of joy.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• We discuss Champagne Widows during our book club, including how the heroine, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, became a widow and grappled with a new, overbearing partner, the difficulties of making champagne, and the Napoleonic Code, which prevented women from owning a business.
• Rebecca explains how she came up with the idea for her book after visiting the Champagne region in France. 
• Rebecca weaves historical facts and explains where she took creative license in crafting the story. 
• Rebecca believes that we are never too old or too late to pursue our wildest dreams, just like her strong women characters in her novels. 

To connect with author Rebecca Rosenberg and buy her books:

Rebecca Rosenberg, best‑selling author - Uncorking women's pasts across the globe, one glass at a time

Rebecca Rosenberg, best‑selling author - Books by Rebecca Rosenberg

Instagram

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 134

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn about our guest, Denis Godby's journey across America in pursuit of health equity. 

Dennis Godby, ND, MA, is a California-licensed Naturopathic Doctor, health equity advocate, author, and founder of Walk USA for Health Equity, a five-year movement making health equity visible so ZIP codes and discrimination no longer determine who gets to be healthy. 

For more than four decades, he has combined social justice advocacy, naturopathic medicine, and long-distance endurance journeys to champion the underdog and bring attention to critical social and health issues. 

His advocacy includes a 1,420-mile run from Oregon to Canada, a transcontinental run for Central American refugees, and the 2011 cross-country run, The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward. Since 2022, he has walked across America in annual legs toward a September 2026 finale in Seattle, helping build a national movement for health equity. 

Dennis is the recipient of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians’ True Grit Award, California’s first Naturopathic Doctor of the Year award, and author of Health for All: A Journey Towards Health Equity.

 On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• During his long walks from state to state, Godby experienced the humanity out there and the goodness of the human heart. 
• Denis Godby, ND, emphasizes the importance of getting enough vitamin D to stay healthy. 
• Godby's walk across the United States deepened his purpose to make health equity visible so that zip codes no longer determine others' health. 

To connect with Dennis Godby, ND and purchase his book:

Health For All: A Journey Towards Health Equity: Godby ND, MA, Dr. Dennis: 9798397378567: Amazon.com: Books

Dr. Dennis Godby, ND - Naturopathic Doctor in Sacramento, CA

Instagram

Facebook

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 133

Join your hosts, Carmen Micsa, podcaster, Broker/CEO with Dynamic Real Estate, and published author of the tennis book Change Your Grip on Tennis Through Tennis to learn more about my competitive college tennis experience playing for American River College at 53, proving that I wasn't too old to start a new adventure and to keep growing as a person and tennis player while inspiring the younger generation to try new things and be fearless. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• I discuss the event that led me to join the American River College team and return to school just to play tennis, improve my game, and inspire my teammates to reach for more.
• I express my gratitude to coach Kevin Kurtz from Rio de Oro Racquet Club, who encouraged me to return to college tennis and play my second season with them 12 years later, as we are never too old to start or continue what we began. 
• After Coach Kevin planted the seed, I got in touch with Coach Steven Dunmore, who had led the ARC team to win three championships in Ojai, Southern California. I started training with the team and taking online classes for the fall semester in 2025 and the spring semester this year, 2026. 
• One of the highlights of my playing for ARC (American River College) was traveling with the team to the Ojai Tennis Tournament for the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A), where Alex and Sophia, who study at UC Santa Barbara, came to cheer on me. They were proud that their mom was back in college, taking online classes such as Spanish and Poetry, and playing competitive tennis with teammates the same age as them. 
• This incredible opportunity taught me that it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks and that, at 52, I still felt like 22 because I was a runner and did strength training. 
• I also learned so much from Matt Brunnquell, our assistant coach, who put his heart and soul into doing great drills with us and taking our games to the next level. 

To connect with me and buy my books, please follow me:

Instagram

Facebook

To purchase my tennis book Change Your Grip on Life Through Tennis and my poetry books on Amazon:

https://bit.ly/43Ba2xX

To buy or sell your home with me and receive the best service, putting my 26 years of experience to work for you, check out my website and feel free to email or call me. 

Sacramento Real Estate | Carmen Micsa

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 132

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn more about what our subconscious mind knows and how to harness its power. 

Christine Brodmerkel is a clinical hypnotherapist with a master’s degree in counseling psychology, a certified professional coach, and a lifelong student of healing and human potential. Long before she became a practitioner, she was on her own self-healing path—curious about why we think what we think, feel what we feel, and repeat patterns we genuinely want to change.

Her work bridges practical psychology and deeper consciousness. Christine specializes in helping people understand how the subconscious mind shapes their beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses—and more importantly, how to work with it intentionally. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Christine learned from her parents the importance of staying on track with everything that she did in life. 
• In working with her clients, Christine looks to help them heal emotionally and spiritually. 
• By starting with the conscious mind, such as deciding what to wear today, Christine delves into the subconscious mind later on to help her clients heal. 
• Our emotions rise from our subconscious mind. 
• Christine describes the subconscious patterns and how they operate. 
• When Christine helps her clients through hypnosis, she helps them introduce new information into the subconscious mind. 
• Through hypnotherapy, Christine can change her clients old reprogramming to a new one.
• Additionally, Christine believes that we can all communicate with our subconscious mind and reprogram it with the right guidance. 

To connect with Christine Brodmerkel:

Christine Brodmerkel Hypnotherapy - Near Charlottesville, VA

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 131

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn more about why wellness has failed women and how we can live a more joyous and meaningful life. 

Erica Ballard, who helps growth-minded women actually get healthy. Erica has a master's degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. She has been featured in Forbes and Women’s Health magazines. Erica believes that getting healthy involves the mind, body, and soul. She currently lives in Denver with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two cute pups.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Erica calls herself a wellness "de-influencer," because she does the exact opposite of everyone else on the internet. Instead of being like, check out this biohack, grab this tracker, she tells her clients to eat real food and keep things simple and boring, as she pointed out. 
• Moving our bodies and getting a good ight sleep are so important in helping us thrive as individuals. 
•  Erica explained that our systems in America are not set up to support people being well. Our food systems are trash. Our health care is sick care, and we glamorize hustle. 
• One misconception about women maintaining a healthy weight is that you eat less, move more, and drop weight, which is not true, especially for women over 40. 
• Erica explains that when women put themselves in starvation mode, their bodies will prioritize holding on to fat. 
• Every woman should do these things for her health: drink more water, eat breakfast, and don't drink coffee on an empty stomach.
• Erica is also a behavior change expert, which means she helps her clients do a lot of mindset work and rewiring, because that's how health becomes easy. 

To connect with Erica Ballard, please follow her:

Erica Ballard | Women's Health Coach

Erica Ballard, MS, CHC | LinkedIn

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 130

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn more about your authentic self rebirth and how to reconnect with your true identity.

Peter Kolat, widely known as ‘Polish Peter’, author of Authentic Self Rebirth, creator of the 7 Human Drives Framework, and a transformational coach affectionately known as the “Polish Tony Robbins.” He’s coached thousands, spoken on over 100 stages, and was named Transformational Coach of the Year in both 2022 and 2024. Peter helps entrepreneurs and high achievers cut through the self-help noise, reconnect with their true identity, and build lives and businesses rooted in peace, purpose, and personal freedom. Beyond the mindset work, he grows purpose-driven companies, consults for equity, and invests in the coaching and personal development space. He’s also a proud husband and father of three—building a legacy without sacrificing what matters most. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Peter believes that we can all keep our inner child alive by having fun and trying new things. 
• Polish Peter, as he is called, decided to write his book, Authentic Self Rebirth, after his wife asked for a divorce and he experienced optimistic depression, knowing that he could help others and become a life coach. 
• Polish Peter wrote this book to that version of himself before the divorce, to help him get out of what he calls "stinking thinking" and rediscover his authentic self. 
• In his book, Peter also outlined the seven human drives and how they impact every area of our lives. Peter also credits Tony Robbins for the inspiration and many things he learned from him.
• Peter believes that we can all become unstuck, since being stuck is mainly a metaphor. In his opinion, people are either getting anxious because they're constantly thinking about what happened in their past and living in it, or they go into the future and worry about what the possible future might be. I mean, so they're never present. 

To connect with ‘Polish Peter’ and buy his book, please follow him:

Polish Peter | Life & Business Coaching for High Performers

Instagram

(9) Facebook

Hidden Mastery MindSHIFTS - YouTube

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 129

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to discover how to live a more purposeful and meaningful life with bestselling author David McNally. 

David McNally is the author of the bestselling books EVEN EAGLES NEED A PUSH, THE EAGLE’S SECRET, and BE YOUR OWN BRAND. He is also the producer of two inspiring documentaries, THE POWER OF PURPOSE and IF I WERE BRAVE. David’s groundbreaking new book, IF YOU’RE ALIVE-Your Mission on Earth Isn’t Finished, is receiving the highest praise. 

David also believes in the transcendent nature of the human spirit. No matter our age, we can stay engaged in life in ways that keep it meaningful and fulfilling.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• David became passionate about learning, development, growth, and human potential. He left a solid career and went full-time into the world of personal growth and development, or leadership development.
• David was inspired by Terry Fox, who had run 3339 miles across Canada after he had lost his leg to cancer. Terry Fox raised money for cancer research on one good leg and a prosthetic device. 
• David ended up making a film about Terry Fox, and that film showed the world the power of purpose, which provides such impetus, such drive, and transcendence.
• That film won an award from the Los Angeles Film Advisory Board as a top inspirational film. It also became what the Canadian Cancer Society, or the Terry Fox Foundation.
• Although David had no knowledge about filmmaking, he learned that nothing gets accomplished without commitment. And Terry had such an extraordinary commitment.
• In his books, David analyzes the potential emptiness in our lives, and we need to accept that this is a normal part of a transition. 
• He is also a firm believer in learning, no matter what age, which is the principle of contribution, that one's success in life is in proportion to the contribution that we make.

To connect with David McNally and buy his books, please follow him:

David McNally

David McNally

(2) Instagram

(2) Facebook

The Inspired Elder - YouTube

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]

Season Three, Episode 128

Join your hosts, Carmen and Sophia Micsa, to learn more about unlocking the secrets to understanding everyone with Eric Gee, the author of The Power of Personality. 

Eric Gee has administered personality-based life coaching for more than twenty years. He built a successful education company that used his personality typing method to improve the lives of more than twenty thousand students, parents, and teachers. As creator of the Youtopia Project website and the Youtopia 16 assessment, he has disseminated his method to over half a million users since the website’s creation in 2016. His coaching program has been used by companies (Hulu, Disney), universities, and more than 40 school districts.

 “But growth and change are not the same thing. We can grow and mature, and as we do, our behavior changes and evolves, but our personality type cannot change, even if we want to, at least not in any genuine and true way.” – The Power of Personality by Eric Gee

 On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Eric points out that we spend 99% of our time worrying about what other people are thinking, but we should worry about ourselves because what people think or feel will constantly change. 
• Eric studied many personality types growing up and realized that the introvert/extrovert classifications were not satisfactory, so he developed his own personality types that he considers more nuanced and accurate.
• His personality type focuses more on values and places people into categories based on those values: one person might value safety and security, while another might value visceral excitement and sensation. One might value information, and the other might value self-knowledge.
• Eric identified four animal types to match the four personality packs.
• There are 16 different animal personality types, according to Eric. 
• Eric also talks about matching personality when it comes to dating. 

To connect with Eric Gee and buy his book, please follow him:

ERIC GEE | THE POWER OF PERSONALITY | Youtopia Project

(3) Instagram

(8) Facebook

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa. 
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1.  You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [email protected]