She's Bold with Beth Whitman

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Today's conversation is with Laura Musikanski.

Laura is the executive director of the Happiness Alliance. She believes in the importance of data because when you can measure something, you can better manage it and in this case she's interested in measuring happiness, well-being and the resilience of people and the planet. She has a background in sustainability so that all makes sense.

Laura is all about happiness, at least the data behind happiness. She spends her time researching and trying to understand what it is that makes us happy (or not). And how we can make a cultural shift so that we are more focused on happiness not profit.

In a time when it's easy to feel hopeless, she is a self-described "pessimistic optimist." In other words, she has an optimistic outlook on things but bases her viewpoint in reality—because, as you'll hear, she's all about the data. And data is the reality.

I went into this conversation having just read some studies about climate change and I was feeling a bit discouraged about how things are going for our planet. But I have to admit that after listening to Laura's positive outlook on a number of things—and that includes social media, television and even gaming—I felt a bit more hopeful. Again, she's realistic but she sees a way out of the path we're headed down.

Having been to Bhutan as many times as I have and knowing their policy on Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product, I admit that I've always looked at Bhutan as a bit of an anomaly. A tiny country in the Himalayas that's able to be very thoughtful in terms of their approach to dealing with the rest of the world because they are so small. And it's much easier to manage or change things when you're small and growing. And, for the most part, they've done a great job at it.

But I haven't ever thought that this kind of approach, this Gross National Happiness, was possible for the rest of the world, particularly the United States. But Laura thinks otherwise. So it's gotten me thinking a bit differently. Maybe we are on our way to a bit of cultural shift. I guess time will tell.

Anyway, I hope this episode gets you thinking about the future and in a positive way. With that, please enjoy this conversation with Laura Musikanski.

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Connect with LauraHappiness Alliance | Facebook

Links/books/people mentionedBliss Medical Center Seattle Free Form Dance Dance Dance Underground Om Culture - Seattle Alejandro Adler Martin Seligman Gross National Happiness Sustainable Seattle Johann Hari Johann Hari (Ted Talk) Brene Brown

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's conversation is with Julia Garling.

Julia was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 24. And while that was an awakening for her, it took her some time to go from being a fund manager at a NYC financial institution to a marathoner who's now completed well over 200 races to date.

On the way to that amazing number of marathons, she went through this debilitating illness when the doctor's suggested she might not ever walk again.

Julia is now living a very happy life in Portland, OR where she's a massage therapist, specializing in massage for runners. She's also a pacer for races and she's now on her third time around running marathons in all 50 states.

To say that Julia is an inspiration is putting it lightly. Julia didn't let the words of people in her life, especially her doctors, dissuade her from wanting to accomplish grand things, like walking. Instead, she hung on to the words of people she read about who had overcome adversity. And then she took things in her own hands and completely changed her life.

If you know of anyone struggling with a chronic illness or life threatening disease, I ask that you please share this episode with them. Julia's message of hope and determination is something that everyone should hear and I really believe her story could help others.

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with JuliaMarathon Massage | Facebook

Links/books/people mentionedTwo Oceans Marathon Race for Hope Marine Corps Marathon Marathon Maniacs Running Skirts Maui Oceanfront Marathon Next Level Burger David Goggins Rich Roll Marianne Williamson A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Amazon) Medals 4 Mettle

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Be Bold,

Beth

Support the podcast through Patreon and get access to special audio and written content, be part of a private Facebook group and enjoy other benefits only for supporters of the podcast!

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Today's conversation is with Jerilyn Brusseau.

Jerilyn is a cook, baker, restaurateur, business-woman, humanitarian and cultural diplomat.

She has led (and continues to lead) two very different lives that have both allowed her to pursue passions that have supported her over the years. And I think it's fair to say she loves them both equally.

Some of you may know Jerilyn as the founder of Peacetrees Vietnam, an organization dedicated to clearing landmines (more than 110,000 to date) from a heavily bombed region of Vietnam.

Others may know Jerilyn as the Cinnamom – the woman behind the irresistible recipe that we know as Cinnabon.

In this conversation, we talk in-depth about her work in Vietnam, a country devastated by war. Her work started more than 20 years ago when she and her late husband, Danaan Perry, got this crazy idea to bring the people of Vietnam and the people of the U.S. together.

But we also talk about her work in the culinary world and how she went from owning a restaurant in the Seattle area to becoming the creator of what is arguably the world's best known cinnamon roll (Cinnabon is in 48 countries!).

No matter how you know her (or whether you know her at all), I know you'll love this conversation with the amazing and inspirational Jerilyn Brusseau.

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Links/books/people mentionedPeacetrees VietnamProject RenewThich Nhat HanhGrace and Grit by Ken Wilber (Amazon) Cinnabon Cairnspring Mills Wheat Belly (Amazon)

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Colleen Poling is a registered dietition and health coach living in Portland, Oregon.

I found out about Colleen through the VegFest website. VegFest, for those of you who don't know, is a vegetarian festival/trade show that takes place in several locations around the US. And Colleen was a speaker at one of their events.

Colleen is plant-based, meaning she eats no animal products. And while this works for her, she coaches people no matter where they are with their health and needs.

Colleen is all about living life on her town terms, although she fully admits to struggling with this herself that's the beauty of what she's trying to accomplish—that it's not easy but she figures it out.

She believes in the power of taking risks, otherwise, as she says, we'll just be stuck in place.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Colleen. She lets herself be quite honest and vulnerable and I have big respect for that.

I know you're going to really enjoy this conversation with Colleen Poling.

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with Colleen

Website | Instagram

Links/books/people mentioned VegFest Spokane Insight Timer Finding Mastery Aubrey Marcus Joe Rogan Chronometer Four Sigmatic Superfoods Blend (Amazon) Bean sprouter (Amazon) Soymilk Maker (Amazon) Rhonda Patrick Aronia Berries (Amazon) DHA - EPA (Amazon) Spirulina (Amazon)

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Big exciting news this week. The Be Bold Podcast is now She's Bold!

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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In this episode, I look back at 2018, forward to 2019 and consider what it means to be "unbold."

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Cassandra Overby is the author of a new book called Explore Europe on Foot.

And it is, obviously, all about enjoying Europe through walking. I'm talking anything from day walks to multi-day hikes.

This book is pretty awesome. It's a guide that makes walking through Europe really accessible. When I first heard about the book, I thought it would be interesting to me because Jon and I have talked about doing a hut to hut trip, perhaps in the Alps.

But as I dug into Explore Europe on Foot, I realized that Cass is really advocating for a different kind of travel, a different way of thinking about it. And it doesn't have to include some big hut to hut experience or a multi-mile pilgrimage (although she includes those in the book as well), but it can just be a way to enjoy a slower pace of travel by exploring the countryside on foot wherever you are.

She didn't start out as this kind of traveler, and that's where her story becomes interesting. She had considered herself a big time traveler until she left on a year-long trip and ended up coming home after just a few months (which was all spent in one place, by the way). And it was then that she realized she was disillusioned by travel.

She hunkered down and worked for five years until a couple of things happened that brought her to this book--namely meeting her future husband AND discovering a new way to travel that really lit her up.

You'll hear how her story unfolds in this episode but I think the real key, the real takeaway, is that she made a Bold decision in her life. A change that she did not consider bold at the time. But that decision changed everything for her.

Here's my conversation with Cassandra Overby.

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with Cassandra

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Links/books/people mentioned Explore Europe on Foot (Amazon) Tom Bihn bags Hero's Journey Tom Binh bag Gaia app Ikea Hackers Shikoku Pilgrimage (wiki) Connect with me: Facebook Instagram WanderTours Be Bold Facebook Group (women-only) Twitter

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Be Bold, Beth

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Today's guest is Tanya Streeter.

Tanya is a world champion freediver. She holds the record, set in 2002, when she dove to a depth of 525 feet.

She held that record for both men and women for more than two months but she still holds the women's record and, again, that was over 16 years ago.

The crazy thing is that she managed to secure that record on a day when things didn't go quite right for her—which she does talk about in this episode—specifically she blacked out right before she was doing the dive. I mean seconds before.

I'm not sure that I've spoken to anyone whose accomplishment sounds so absolutely petrifying to me. You wanna talk about being bold? As she says, you really need cojones to do something like she's done. This accomplishment is really off the charts.

What I'd love for you to do is listen to this episode, then watch the documentary video (it's about 50 minutes long) called No Limits and then come back and re-listen to this episode because it will take on new meaning.

I know you'll listen to this episode and be inspired by this conversation with Tanya Streeter.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Links/books/people mentioned A Plastic Ocean Tanya freediving (video) No Limits (video on YouTube) Tanya Streeter (wiki) Connect with me: Facebook Instagram WanderTours Be Bold Facebook Group (women-only) Twitter

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Be Bold, Beth

Join our community of Patreon supporters. First 10 patrons receive a Be Bold gift! Today's conversation is with Pam LeBlanc.

Pam spent nearly 21 years writing about fitness, adventure and travel for the Austin American-Statesman, Austin's daily newspaper. It was there that she wrote a weekly column called Fit City.

And it's a befitting column for someone who considers herself to be an Outdoor Junkie.

While she had done a number of things over the years that tested her confidence and really forced her to stretch herself, she declared 2017 as her Year of Adventure and she set out to purposely do things that she was uncomfortable with.

In her article declaring her year of adventure, she ends with this, "Take a flying leap, splash hard, get your hair wet and smudge your makeup."

During her adventurous year, she jumped off a 10-meter diving board, she ran a naked 5K race and she rappelled down a 38 story high-rise in Austin (dressed in a Wonder Woman suit, of course!) – all of which she describes in this episode.

Pam is someone who confronts life head on and lives it to the fullest.

You're going to hear all kinds of stories about her adventures here but what I hope you'll take away from this conversation is that we can create adventures in our lives, big and small, every single day.

With that, enjoy this conversation with Pam LeBlanc.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode! Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with Pam:Instagram | Twitter

Links/books/people mentioned Life on the John Muir Trail (by Pam LeBlanc) Fit City Declares Her Year of Adventure (by Pam LeBlanc) What's it Like to Run a Naked 5K? (by Pam LeBlanc) What's it Like to Rappel Down a 38-story High Rise in Downtown Austin? (by Pam LeBlanc) How Does it Feel to Jump Off a 10-Meter Dive Platform? (by Pam LeBlanc) West Hansen - The Amazon Express Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine Texas Highways Texas Water Safari Gar fish (photos) Burro racing Sue Hollis (on Be Bold Podcast) Connect with me: Facebook Instagram WanderTours Be Bold Facebook Group (women-only) Twitter

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Be Bold, Beth

Ladies! Join us on the Be Bold Facebook group!

In this episode, I take some time to talk about how you can make some bold decisions this holiday season with regards to gift giving.

Break your habits, think out of the box and do something different this year! Mentioned in this episode:The Running Event Epic5 Ultra Run 4 Deserts A Plastic Ocean The True Cost Want, Need, Wear, Read Connect with me: Facebook Instagram WanderTours Be Bold Facebook Group (women-only) Twitter

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Be Bold, Beth