Pilates for Back Pain, Longevity, and Self-Care | Dian Griesel with Nofar Hagag ⁨

@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics host Dian Griesel welcomes Pilates instructor Nofar Hagag to discuss back pain, body stress, and how healing can begin by learning to move differently rather than pushing harder. Nofar shares how prioritizing self-care supports the ability to care for others, and explains why Pilates — especially on the reformer and Cadillac — can be a supportive, accessible way to build strength, alignment, posture, balance, and everyday comfort for beginners, injured clients, and older adults. She describes Pilates as beneficial for rehabilitation, longevity, and independence with aging, and emphasizes movement as medicine for both physical health and mental well-being.

Nofar also outlines the NOFAR Method’s approach: using both machines in group classes, creating a welcoming environment, and teaching with education and personal connection rather than performance.

Learn more about the Nofar Method here: https://nofarmethod.com/Follow Nofar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nofarnyc/

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between."

Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

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Disability Inclusion Beyond Good Intentions: Northwest Center CEO Gene Boes on the Return on Inclusion​

 ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics podcast host Dian Griesel interviews Gene Boes, president and CEO of Northwest Center, about what true disability inclusion and belonging look like in everyday life, especially at work. Mr. Boes urges people to focus on “able,” not “disability,” and to “suspend disbelief and be curious” about what’s possible, drawing on his experiences as a father of a daughter with severe autism, spouse of a wife with Parkinson’s, and son of a father with multiple sclerosis. He shares Northwest Center’s origins in 1965 and its role in creating Washington’s House Bill 90, a blueprint for the federal IDEA law, and explains how the organization supports people “cradle through career.” Boas details Northwest Center’s long partnership with Amazon, showing data-driven business benefits—reduced attrition, zero absenteeism, improved productivity, safety, and morale—and how accommodations like safety mirrors helped everyone, illustrating a “return on inclusion” that isn’t charity but competitive advantage.

Learn more about Northwest Center here: https://www.nwcenter.org/

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

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Food Therapy, Somatics & Nervous System Regulation: Luis Mojica on Anxiety, Stress, Trauma

In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics Podcast, host Dian Griesel interviews somatic educator and nutritional counselor Luis Mojica about “listening to your body.” Luis explains how somatic therapy differs from talk therapy by focusing on where experiences are held as physical sensations and how PTSD reflects a body still reacting to past events. Mojica shares how identifying sensation, relating to it with presence, and anchoring in the present can reduce symptoms even if memories remain. He connects somatics to his book, Food Therapy: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma, describing foods as stimulants, depressants, and balancers that can raise or lower stress hormones like adrenaline through glucose spikes and crashes. He argues mood, anxiety, and behavior are strongly influenced by diet, emphasizes agency over identifying with anxiety or trauma, and previews future work on conflict and “tending to rupture,” including how blood sugar affects relationship conflict.

Learn More about Luis here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Grab a copy of Food Therapy: Conscious Eating to Navigate Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma here: https://amzn.to/4qPZR3l

Please SUBSCRIBE! I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between."

Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

The Anti-Marriage Pact Author Lindsey MacMillan on Choice, Romance, and Rewriting the Script

In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics episode, host Dian Griesel interviews author Lindsay MacMillan, a former “closet creative” who wrote poetry in bathroom stalls while working at Goldman Sachs before pursuing writing full time. MacMillan discusses her fifth book and bestseller, The Anti-Marriage Pact, released June 2, describing its edgy Brooklyn-graffiti cover and its story of four women—told through one first-person narrator—grappling with marriage, independence, and authenticity. She explains how the book grew from earlier work about dating as deal-making, explores cultural tensions like trad wife vs. rejecting marriage, and argues the real goal is conscious choice rather than conformity. The conversation covers character development, reader interpretation, art’s role in sparking debate, modern romance beyond checklists, and her hopes for TV adaptations, including progress on adapting her third novel set on Michigan’s Mackinac Island.

Learn more about Lindsay here: https://www.lindsaymacmillancreative.com/

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com

For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively."

Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between."

Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

The Doctors’ Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Public Trust with Andy McPhee

In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics episode, host Dian Griesel interviews author Andy McPhee about the Doctors’ Riot of 1788 in New York City, where fear, class, race, medicine, and public trust collided over grave robbing for anatomy study. McPhee explains how early American physicians largely learned through apprenticeships and European training, creating high demand for cadavers amid few legal sources, leading to “resurrection men” stealing bodies -- often from the Negroes Burial Ground and paupers’ cemeteries. This went on without public outcry, until thefts from the historic Trinity Church cemetery -- still a NYC landmark -- sparked riots. Their discussion explores the moral and legal ambiguity of corpse theft; the era’s reliance on bloodletting; humor theory (and we're not talking about laughter and comedy!); and, the lasting need for bodies in medical education that continues today. McPhee connects the history to modern “body broker” tissue banks, scandals involving funeral homes and universities, and the lack of regulation. All are urged to do some thorough due diligence regarding their wills, estates and body donation planning.

You can learn more about Andy McPhee here: https://andymcphee.com/

AND pick up a copy of Andy's book here: https://amzn.to/4xlGl0O

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For over three decades, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth. Subscribe & Join the Conversation."

Words Like Honey: How Your Language Shapes Kids, Connection, and Respect | Amy Hughes Interview

Dian Griesel interviews author Amy Hughes, author of Words Like Honey, about how everyday words and tone affect children’s feelings, behavior, learning, and long-term beliefs. Hughes shares her own communication struggles and a key moment when her daughter misinterpreted a joking comment (“I stole it”) for years, illustrating how kids process language literally and developmentally. They discuss “stinging” phrases like “Don’t be sad,” “Calm down,” “Hurry up,” and “What’s wrong with you?” and offer alternatives that validate emotions, add clarity, and build connection. Hughes explains adapting communication by age (play/reward for younger kids, context for older kids), “connect before we correct,” using a “time-in” space, saying “we” to reduce isolation, and allowing respectful pushback (“present another way”). The conversation also covers fear-based authority, respect vs fear, modeling communication through questions and apologies, and giving yourself grace and repairing relationships at any age.

Get your copy of Words Like Honey Here: https://amzn.to/4gcNhYePlease

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

Angelica Fuentes on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Resilience, and Building Nowful

In this  ⁨@SilverDisobedience⁩  Perception Dynamics episode, Dian Griesel interviews business leader, investor, philanthropist, and women’s economic empowerment advocate Angelica Fuentes, who shares how she grew up in a traditional Mexican family, began working at age 11, learned to ask for what she deserved, and rose through hands-on roles to become CEO of her family’s energy group at 29.

Ms. Fuentes discusses being the only woman in many leadership rooms, leading major industry and APEC roles, and the importance of cooperating rather than competing, proving capability despite gender obstacles, and using both feminine (creative) and masculine (drive) energy. She emphasizes learning from failure, choosing attitude over victimhood, and empowering women through opportunity and education, including experiences with girls in Guatemala and women in Latin America.

Ms. Fuentes also introduces her wellness company Nowful, featuring an app, affirmation cards, and products designed to support rest, presence, and resilience.

You can learn more at any of these links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-fuentes/

https://www.instagram.com/angelicafuentes63/

https://www.instagram.com/nowfuljourney/

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

The Gatsby Code: Why The Great Gatsby Still Haunts America with Bob Batchelor, historian and author

In this episode, host Dian Griesel talks with cultural historian and award-winning author Bob Batchelor about his book The Gatsby Code and why F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby still resonates 100 years after publication. Batchelor traces the novel’s post – World War II rise in classrooms, credits its enduring power to Fitzgerald’s beautiful writing and Jay Gatsby’s ambiguity, and argues Gatsby functions as a mirror of America’s constant reinvention and complicated faith in the American dream. The conversation explores Jazz Age excess, prohibition-era rebellion, and the novel’s early depiction of celebrity culture to today’s social media and influencer dynamics, and also includes a discussion about Fitzgerald and Zelda’s own celebrity. Batchelor also previews his upcoming political thriller Are You a Patriot? and mentions a completed biography of Nolan Ryan.

Learn more about Bob Batchelor here: https://www.bobbatchelor.com/

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing — in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face — so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth.

Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

GoTavi Founder Shai Stern on Fixing the “Pipes” of Business: One Platform for Formation, Compliance, Insurance, Payments & More

Dian Griesel interviews serial entrepreneur Shai Stern, founder of Gotavi, about simplifying the inefficient “pipes” of running a business such as formation, compliance, registered agents/DBAs, insurance, payments/treasury, payroll (via an embedded third party), background checks, business licensing, answer engine optimization, and document repository needs, so founders can focus on growth. Stern explains how Gotavi combines built and embedded solutions into one collaborative platform that sequences users through tasks on gotavi.co, offering both AI-driven journeys and human support. He emphasizes efficiency, reducing vendor sprawl, and improving the handoff experience from sales to service, positioning Gotavi as a partner to attorneys, CPAs, and advisors, with options for referrals, embedding, and white-labeling. The discussion also highlights saving entrepreneurs’ energy and leadership bandwidth by making back-office operations run smoothly.

Connect with Shai here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaistern1/

Learn more about Gotavi: https://gotavi.co/

Please SUBSCRIBE!

I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠ For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing -- in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face -- so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth. Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

Aldara Ortega: From Model to Underwater Fine Art Photographer | Painting With Light

Host Dian Griesel interviews New York/Miami based model and fine art photographer Aldara Ortega about her path from being scouted at 18 in Madrid to building a distinctive underwater photography practice.

Ortega shares how studying fashion design and darkroom photography, plus years of oil painting, shaped her editing approach -- treating images like a canvas and “painting with light” through color grading and selective enhancement. Inspired by swimming in a skylit New York pool, she began creating underwater images with a point-and-shoot and improvised gear, leading to early series like “Liquid Desert,” later refining her work into ethereal, motion-focused compositions using reflections and refractions.

Now in Miami, she offers commissioned underwater portraits, discusses ocean vs. pool conditions, her Canon and lite setup, free-diving certifications, and how her modeling experience helps guide subjects calmly and confidently.

Learn more and follow Aldara Ortega at any of these links:

Fine Art Underwater Photography: aloarts.com

IG: @alo.arts

Fashion & Portrait Photography: aldaraortega.com

IG:  @aldaraphotostudio

Newsletter: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1891532/170178903607870702/share

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I’m Dian Griesel aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here:   ⁠⁠https://diangriesel.com⁠⁠

But for starters…⁠ For nearly 40 years, I’ve helped people understand what they may be missing -- in themselves, in others, and in the situations they face -- so they can communicate with greater clarity, make wiser decisions, and navigate both business and life more effectively.

"Raw, truth-driven conversations with fascinating guests — from business & psychology to careers, pop culture & the B.S. in between." Expect bold questions. Unfiltered insights. A few laughs. Real growth. Subscribe & Join the Conversation.

SHOW RUN:

00:00 Meet Aldara Ortega

01:04 How She Started Modeling

02:07 From Fashion to Photography

04:11 Painting Influences Editing

07:08 Discovering Underwater Art

10:15 Early Series and Breakthrough

13:01 Style and Creative Process

16:44 Galleries and Representation

17:34 Commissioned Underwater Portraits

20:01 Gear and Underwater Setup

21:34 Breath Hold and Freediving

23:22 Directing and Empowering Muses

28:48 Next Projects and Travel

30:36 Wrap Up and Where to Follow