Sipping on Stories

History may remember Georgia Simmerling for her as the first Canadian to compete in three different sports in three Olympic different Games. This summer will be Georgia’s fourth Olympics in Tokyo. But her success goes beyond podium finishes as a competitor in Alpine, Ski Cross and Track Cycling teams. Even her Bronze Medal finish in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio is just the tip of this virtuoso competitor who is truly greater than the sum of her accomplishments. Time and again, Georgia’s many successes demonstrate the power of what can happen if we believe in ourselves enough to overcome adversity. Georgia’s determination, sportmanship, and sheer grace of character testify to the potential that lives within each of us when we embrace life and hope. This is her story.

Manny Osborne-Paradis is a four-time Olympic Downhill Ski racer with three World Cup Championship titles. He’s famous for winning both a World Cup Downhill and World Cup Super G Race but what’s most compelling about this Canadian from British Columbia goes well beyond his fierce competitive drive and need for speed. Manny is one of those larger-than-life guys with an reputation for being one of the most affable and magnanimous competitors. His generosity of spirit and humility is admirable and refreshing, especially when it comes to motivating younger, upcoming athletes on the circuit. Manny shares a few memorable highlights from his skiing career. including what it’s like to ski the notorious and death-defying race in Kitzbuhel, Austria. It’s no wonder when Manny announced his retirement from the skiing last fall, the biggest television network in Canada - the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) - threw him a farewell party. This is his story.

What if we could end the racial warfare and name calling in America, eliminate the angry finger-pointing and dispel some of our fears with one simple step: knowing yourself? It’s that easy for Lexie Brockway Potamkin, the author of six books, including her latest, Know Yourself: Develop A More Compassionate, Stronger, and Happier You. Lexie’s deep insights speak to powerful recipes for healing and discovering our individual gifts, meaning and purpose in life. As a former Miss World USA, her light shines from the inside and comes from her experiences as a successful business leader, humanitarian, psychologist and ordained minister. It’s no surprise the Dali Lama nicknamed Lexie his “englightened daughter.” This, my friends, is her story.

The New York Times and Washington Post have called Fiona Davis’ work intricate, unpredictable, and stunning. All five of her bestselling historical fiction novels take place in storied New York landmark buildings like the Barbizon Hotel and Grand Central Station. Each wrestles with social conflicts crisscrossing the lives of women from different eras. In August 2020, Good Morning America named Fiona’s latest novel, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, GMA Book Club Pick of the Month. What readers love most about Fiona’s work is her sweeping determination to shed light on strong women who find their place in a world complicated by family secrets and legacies of untold truths. Fiona shares her writing process, what inspires her and the page-turning secrets of her success. This is her story.

Pieces of Yara Zgheib’s heart are scattered in the many places she’s lived and traveled in the world, but there’s also a steady stream of new hearts flocking to her as readers celebrate her smashing debut novel, The Girls at 17 Swann Street. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Yara and the breathtaking beauty of her writing and gut-wrenching book. The protagonist, Anna Roux, battles anorexia nervosa – an eating disorder of epidemic proportions. As a Fulbright scholar with a doctorate in International Human Security from Georgetown University, Yara is poised to become one of the most creative and compelling voices of our time. With a second book coming in 2022 and a third proposal on the way, this is Yara’s story.

What does it mean to be brave and to move away from fear, doubt and an unsatisfying life? Today’s episode is all about Margaret Davis Ghielmetti, the author of Brave(ish) – a memoir about exotic globetrotting, luxury adventures and the steady realization that Ghielmetti is extremely unhappy. The symptoms - loneliness, atheism, and addiction spiral out of control until Ghielmetti faces the pending death of her mother and the truth about what it means to be at home with herself. Forgiveness and love are at the heart this story, this interview, and this writer and performance artist whose work has appeared in the Story Moth, Second City and StoryStudio. Overcoming perfectionism is everything for Ghielmetti and this, is her story.

Paul McBlaine’s first job assignment with the Navy was a station in Morocco. Tough conditions in a specialty field provided valuable lessons for creative career building throughout a life of more than 20 career pivots. Four continents and many years later, Paul has coached hundreds of professionals into successful jobs and careers in diverse industries. This lead to Paul’s new book, Getting Hired, which offers a step-by-step HOW TO approach for building an action plan and winning a job during these challenging times. His insights, best practices and personal stories help those who are unemployed or looking to make a career change. Paul’s job-winning toolkit will get you battle-ready to face the emotional fears while helping to manage the stress as you put the right action plan in place, This is Paul’s story.

The bestselling book Beyond the Pews: Breaking with Tradition and Letting Go of Religious Lockdown shares the personal story of Jillian Maas Backman. Jillian wrote the book years after years of study and greater understanding about her unique ability to communicate with angels and see colorful auras around people.

Equipped with this rare gift and the knowledge that the spiritual realm is available to us all, Jillian works with celebrity clients and everyday people helping them to make better life decisions using three pillars from her Change Already approach. Intellect, emotion and intuition are foundational to her work as a seasoned podcaster, radio host and wellness practitioner and coach. If you want a roadmap for living with greater joy and balance, Jillian may be the person you need to break free from the things locking you down and preventing you from realizing the Art of Being over the Art of Doing. This is her story.

How can we save kids from gun violence in America? Pearl Dick is the Artistic Director of PROJECT Fire, a healing arts program for victims of gunshot violence in Chicago. As the flagship healing arts program at Chicago’s Firebird Community Arts (FCA) Program in East Garfield Park, it helps kids who suffer from SELF: a fear for their safety, emotional trauma and anger, loss from injury and a limited sense of the future. Pearl is a visionary leader who offers lessons of the power that lives within each of us to change the world. She shares the compelling stories and program practices transforming lives through the arts, community, hope and reimagined futures. Opening hearts and changing minds, this is her story.

What does it take for women to be financially independent? Wealth management expert Tuula Jalasjaa shares decades of industry experience and two very exciting online platforms helping women close the gender gap around financial knowledge and wealth creation. Tuula is the founder of The Women’s Collection and Smart Money For Her, the first - a free online platform of educational and confidence-building tools. The second platform is a technology-driven website that helps women start investing with the help of financial experts. A steady diet of happiness may just be about loving yourself enough to reduce your financial stress and setting goals and safeguards to protect against life challenges like COVID. With your financial health in mind, here is Tuula Jalasjaa.