Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

Episode 7

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out solid college advice from second-year medical student Kori Snider.

Kori Snider is originally from San Diego, CA and then Sacramento, where she completed her master’s degree in Kinesiology at Sacramento State University. During that time, she worked in the ED as a scribe and quickly developed an interest in the exciting unknown of Emergency Medicine. She then moved to Boise Idaho in 2021 to start medical school. She is currently a second-year medical student at ICOM where she serves as the Emergency medicine club Vice-President and tutor for first-year med students. During her free time, she either obsesses over her puppy or runs in the Boise Foothills with her husband John Snider while he mountain bikes. During undergrad, she competed in Cross Country and the Steeplechase for Track. She continued to race post collegiately until her passion for medicine superseded the need to repetitively run in a circle.

Kori Snider has salient advice for students who want to pursue the medical field or any college education:

• "I could be a doctor if I wanted to be," Kori Snider.
• Going to undergrad school was not on her radar, but she decided to reach for the stars after being inspired by an acquaintance who asked her why not become a cardiologist.
• exposure to the field of medicine is crucial. 
• After working in the ER department, Kori realized that her love of medicine was solidified.
• Kori's three suggestions to students are: listen to your parents, as they know best, have an open mind, and give it your all to set yourself up for success. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• Explore the truths and myths of what it takes to be accepted to medical school. Perfect MCAT scores and perfect grades are not a guarantee that you will get interviews to go to medical school. 
• Whether you want to pursue a medical field or just any field that you are passionate to study, getting experience and exposure in that field is paramount to being accepted to college and thriving as a student.
• Don't go into any field for money, status, or because your parents want you to. For instance, the path to becoming a doctor requires more work than what you receive back, so being passionate about medicine, or any field you choose is key. 

To connect with Kori Snider, please follow her on IG:
Kori G. Snider (@kor__g) • Instagram photos and videos

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts - Apple, Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

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]

Episode 6

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out about Dr. Dennis Godby's walking journey of 610 miles to raise awareness for health equity.

Dr. Dennis Godby is a naturopath doctor who graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland. He also has a BS in exercise physiology and nutrition, as well as an MA degree in Theological Studies. Dr. Godby believes that all people have the opportunity to develop to their greatest health potential, which is why he founded Walk USA for Health Equity, a walk across the country beginning September 12th, 2022 from Myrtle Beach, SC.

Dr. Dennis Godby has the following ideas about health equity:

• A person's zip code is more powerful than genetics in determining a person's quality of life, which needs to change. 
• His solo walking journey of approximately 610 miles, meaning that he will cover about 22 miles a day for 29 days is meant as an agent of change to eradicate the blatant health inequities in America.
• His idea is that the quality of care needs to be improved and he wants to bring attention to this through his walk. 
• The fact that African American women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women is mind-boggling, and Dr. Godby wants to bring attention to health inequities that should not exist in our country.
• Just as Gandhi said that "God comes in the form of bread to hungry people," Dr. Godby hopes that he will find shelter and food during his journey. 
• Please follow his walking journey on the Strava app under Dennis Godby.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn why a 66-year-old naturopath doctor takes off across the country to make a difference and possibly change the inequities of our health system. 
• Why implicit bias is dangerous when doctors treat patients and make assumptions about how people live, or their lifestyle based on their race.
• Why feeling hopeful has a rippling effect. 
• Making changes means being intentional. 

To support Dr. Godby's walking journey across America, please donate directly on his website Walk USA For Health Equity.

To connect with Dr. Godby, please follow him:

Dr. Dennis Godby, ND (@drgodbynd) • Instagram photos and videos

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts - Apple, Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

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]

Episode 5

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how award-winning children's author Paula M Karll, author of Ellie Meets the New Baby plans to improve diversity in schools.  

Paula M Karll is an avid educator with over 10 years of experience working with grades K through 12. As a wife and mother, she has direct experience navigating challenges that families face every day. She uses the art of storytelling and her love of literacy to offer actionable tools and practical solutions.  As a graduate with a master’s degree in Special Education, Karll has extensive experience working with parents, educators, and schools to help provide supportive services for diverse learners.  

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Paula used her extra time to reflect. During those moments, Paula connected her storytelling gifts with her children’s development. They have inspired her in many ways as she reflected on many stories through their eyes. Paula was inspired to share their story to embrace diversity and incorporate an inclusive depiction of families like theirs, to allow readers to become familiar with characters that have a different kind of family but are basically the same. Paula also wanted her daughters to be comfortable having discussions about their own diverse family. Paula’s hope is to inspire all of us through her reflections to embrace inclusion and diversity.

Paula M Karll has great advice for parents and educators:

• As a special education teacher, Paula knows that many students learn better by listening, as well as seeing the visual text. This combination of audio and visual makes students better readers. 
• Inspired by her own daughters, Paula's award-winning book Ellie Meets the New Baby shows parents how to share parenting responsibilities with love and kindness. 
• Through her book, Paula wants readers to use their imagination to make the connection between the positive, enjoyable, and inspirational moments experienced as parents. 
• Paula's teaching philosophy: not every child learns in the same way or in the same day.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode: 

• You will learn how educators and authors plan to build a more diverse and inclusive environment in school. 
• How Paula wants to raise enough money to build a diverse library of at least 200 books and how you can donate through her website. 
• How we need to be intentional and inclusive when it comes to creating characters of all backgrounds.

To buy Ellie Meets the New Baby, go to wherever books are sold and to Paula's website.

To connect with Paula M Karll, please follow her:
Paula M. Karll | Facebook
Paula M Karll (@PaulaMKarll) / Twitter

Follow our podcast on Apple Podcasts - Apple, Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.

Seeds of Sunshine is a proud supporter of the Sacramento Youth Center, and fifty percent of your donations go directly to them, so please Support us. 

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]

Episode 4:
Join our hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to discover why Dr. Neehall's book Happy is the New Healthy will bring new perspectives on happiness for all generations from teenagers to the elder (60 and older).

Dr. Joan Neehall Doctor is a best-selling author on the Wall Street Journal. She is a clinical psychologist with a forensic specialization, mother, and wife. Dr. Neehall has conducted seminars on the science of happiness in China, and Canada and has had TV appearances in the United States. She has developed a simple and user-friendly way for us to keep our happiness thermostat in check in the face of adversity. Dr. Neehall also traveled to 83 countries and six continents. She speaks Spanish, some French, and Italian.

Dr. Joan Neehall has some great happiness wisdom and advice:

• Don't be so negative!
• Get uprooted, meaning leave your chair and go outside to exercise. Her favorite form of exercise is hiking, especially with a friend. 
• We can't be happy all the time! That would make us superficial.
• True happiness means embracing whatever feelings we have at the moment.
• Embrace failure is also part of being content and happy.
• Listen to the end of this great episode to hear Dr. Neehall's seed of sunshine, which we can implement in our daily lives for an instant boost of happiness. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will appreciate and even brag about your failures! That's what makes us human!
• You will learn Dr. Neehall's three pieces of advice for being happy that include everyone in your family from teens to the elderly. 
• Being proactive vs. reactive will lighten up our mood and help us become happier and more resilient. 
• We are what we think, so we have to carefully choose our thoughts. 
• Learn about the insidious nature of contagion theory and how it can affect our self-esteem. 
• And last, but not least, learning to be comfortable in our own skins. 

To buy Happy is the New Healthy,  go to wherever books are sold on Amazon, and more. There is an audio version as well.  You can also find it on Dr. Neehall's website.

To connect with Dr. Joan Neehall, please follow her:
Joan Neehall (@doctorjoanneehall) • Instagram photos and videos
Joan Neehall-Davidson (@NeehallJoan) / Twitter

Follow our podcast on Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher
Support us

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]

Episode 3

Tamra graduated from UC Davis and St. Louis University. She is a retired physician and now owns a small coffee roasting business. She is a licensed coffee Q grader, similar to being a wine sommelier.
Marissa graduated from UC San Diego and obtained her master’s in education from the University of the Pacific. Prior to her master's degree, she taught English in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and South Korea. She currently teaches special education.
Gabrielle graduated from UCLA with a degree in environmental science. Gabrielle works for a Community Choice Energy Company, East Bay Community Energy, which provides green electricity to community members.

Tamra, Marisa, and Gabrielle have great multigenerational tips:

• Misunderstanding between generations can occur due to everyone coming from different places.
• Telling stories while driving is one universal way for families to connect and understand one another better.
• As parents, we can learn a lot from our kids and redefine ourselves, such as choosing a new career path and new hobbies. Tamra changed from being a doctor to starting her own coffee business. 
• Seeing things from different perspectives can help us redefine our lives.
• Tamra shares interesting facts about how she found joy in the culinary industry after she had rediscovered her interest in coffee by visiting countries like Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, and Thailand.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn to appreciate the power of telling stories.
• You will learn that you can become more Zen the same way Tamra discovered.
• You will learn why coffee can make you live longer. 
• Three wise seeds of sunshine from our guests that will help you pause, let things go and show up for the next thing that's in your heart. 

To find, buy, and drink Tamra Ruxin's delicious coffee, please go to her website www.twoseeds.co, or connect with her on IG @twoseedscoffee.
And if you live in the Sacramento area, or visiting, you can find Tamra's two seeds of coffee at Freeport Bakery and Taylor's Market.

Follow our podcast on Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher
Support us

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]

Episode 2:

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how Scott Hershovitz, author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy With My Kids encourages parents to explore familiar topics that lead to inquiry and deeper thinking without making philosophy dry and dull.

Scott Hershovitz, author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy With My Kids is director of the Law and Ethics Program. He is also a professor of law and philosophy at the University of Michigan. He holds a BA in philosophy and politics from the University of Georgia, a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Professor Hershovitz served as a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court. He is married to Julie Kaplan, a social worker, whom he met at summer camp. They live in Ann Arbor with their two children, Rex and Hank.

Scott Hershovitz has great philosophical and parenting tips:

• Hold on to your kids' curiosity as long as possible.
• Encourage kids to be inquisitive.
• Keep track of your children's wonderful questions and write them down whether you write a book or not.
• Read philosophy and listen to podcasts such as Hi-Phi Nation and This American Life
• When you wonder about things and disconnect from technology, you think deeply, since philosophy is really everywhere. - alive and present in our lives. 

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• You will learn to appreciate the beginning of philosophical conversations, such as who is the greatest basketball or tennis player. 
• You will hear Professor Hershovitz and Sophia debate whether cereal is soup in a fun philosophical banter. 
• You will receive some great philosophy book recommendations. 
• You will find out why the author and Professor Hershovitz chose this fun title for his wonderful book, and so much more! 

To buy Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy With My Kids, go to wherever books are sold on Amazon, bookshop.org. , and more.

To connect with Scott Hershovitz, please follow him:
Scott Hershovitz (@shershovitz) / Twitter
Scott Hershovitz (@shershovitz) • Instagram photos and videos

Follow our podcast on Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher
Support us

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]

Episode 1:

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to find out how Kim Conley, a two-time US Olympian, and her lovely British mom Melanie Conley view their hard work as fun!

Kim Conley is a two-time Track and Field Olympian in the 5000m and two-time national champion. Kim grew up in Santa Rosa, CA, and went to college at UC Davis where she ran cross country and track. Although Kim used to live in Sacramento and I used to see her blazing down the American River bike trail, today Kim lives in Flagstaff, AZ with her husband and dog, Smokey.  Kim is a professional runner for Nike and coaches adult runners with McKirdy Trained. In her free time outside of training and coaching, Kim enjoys reading, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring the beauty of Northern Arizona. 

 Her lovely mom Melanie Conley is British and emigrated to America in 1987. Melanie lives in Santa Rosa, CA, where she is a home health Wound, Ostomy, and Continence nurse for Sutter. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, swimming, and spending time with family—including her three grandchildren.

Kim and Melanie Conley share a few multigenerational pieces of advice for athletes of all ages and abilities and anyone who wants to increase their resilience.

• When things get tough, carry on as usual.
• Keep going and keep adapting.
• Learn to become more nimble and welcome changes in your lives.
• As the mother of an Olympian, Melanie thinks being supportive and not putting pressure on the kids will help them enjoy the process and be successful.
• Have audacious dreams. "Dreams can change if you want them to." Melanie Conley

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

1. A delightful multigenerational conversation with an Olympian and her mom who shares tips for other parents looking to raise Olympian kids who will enjoy the process and will be resilient.
2. Kim runs some weekly high mileage - find out how many miles. 
3. Kim walks us, mortals, through her daily schedule, which is more than running miles. 
4. Kim's valuable advice to high school runners. 
5. Find out Kim's and Melanie's valuable seeds of sunshine, which is something uplifting and inspiring that guests will offer at the end of each episode.

Follow Kim Conley on IG, Twitter, and her website:
Kim Conley (@kfconley) • Instagram photos and videos
Kim Conley (@KimConley) / Twitter
Kim Conley (kimfconley.com)

Follow our podcast on Spotify, Iheart.com, Stitcher
Support us

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]