Stories Connect People

My guest today on Stories Connect People podcast is JP.  JP is going to blow you away with her story and the story of her 4 women crew who are embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. They will be rowing (yes, rowing) in an eco boat for roughly 40 day, 24 hours a day (2 hours on and 2 hour off rotation) and 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. They have a dual mission. One to inspire women and two to create awareness about protecting our ocean.

In fact, their boat is the only eco friendly boat in the fleet and made of 10,000 recycled plastic bottles and manufactured using renewable wind energy.

You want to hear what else is fascinating? These 4 women, who are calling their team, One Ocean Crew (3 of which had never rowed before) found each other during the pandemic, online. JP will tell you the story!

They are bound and determined to be the first female crew to cross the finish line.

This is one of the most inspiring stories I've brought to my listeners so welcome JP to Stories Connect People podcast and I hope you will check it all out at One Ocean Crew.

Guest - Janette Potgieter

References:

https://www.oneoceancrew.org/

2021 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge

From the One Ocean Crew website -

We are four women in our thirties rowing a tiny eco boat 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. We represent the dreamers, the adventurers, the go-getters, the passionate, the determined and the curious. But most of all, we are four ordinary women taking on an extraordinary adventure. We are Jen, Emily, JP and Erin. We are One Ocean Crew.

Our story is unique as we found each other in lockdown 1.0, in the middle of a global pandemic (virtually). Three members have never rowed before and our Skipper is scared of deep water. You couldn’t write this. But what we are setting out to achieve, to be the first female crew to row across the finish line of the 2021 Talisker Whisky Atlantic 

We want to inspire women world-wide to follow their dreams, to create opportunities and to achieve their potential. We want you to feel empowered to fight for what you love.

One Ocean Crew has chosen to row the world's first 'Eco' R45 ocean rowing boat. The boat’s sustainable design aims to have a reduced impact on the environment, with a foam core containing around 10,000 recycled plastic bottles and manufactured using renewable wind energy.

One Ocean Crew are also raising money for the Sea Ranger Service, a social enterprise tackling youth unemployment and creating maritime careers focused on working for the environment.

Watch the video and see how you can support: 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/one-ocean-crew

Go to  https://www.oneoceancrew.org/ to learn everything about this journey on their website, follow on IG, FB and LinkedIn.

Stories Connect People Podcast

The opportunities are endless to spread kindness in the world.

Where there's a wheel there's a way!

My guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Omer Zur.  Omer's story is amazing and his heart and passion for others can be seen over and over in how he is dedicating his life to Paratrek's mission.

As a young boy, Omer's father was constantly telling him to get out and experience nature and have adventures and so early on he developed a huge passion and appreciation for the outdoors and all it could bring,

The journey for Paratrek started when Omer decided he wanted his father who has been paralyzed since his early 20s to experience these same adventures. 

Omer set the plan in place. He and his father put together a list of all the things they needed in a wheelchair that would allow his father with assistance to explore the same things that those without disabilities experience. They took this to a design and engineering team to create the Trekker.  Omer and his father set out on a 30 day excursion to Turkey to camp, hike and experience the outdoors. 

Over 30 of Omer's friends joined in on the plan and while there was some early reluctance from his Father they continued the course and it was a life changing experience for everyone.

Omer knew this was what he was meant to do and he started this organization to educate, create awareness and provide experiences for those with disabilities. 

Hear him share all about it on Stories Connect People podcast.

Connect with Omer and follow Paratrek:

Omer Zur

Stories Connect People Podcast

My Guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Cortney Farmer.

Cortney is the founder of The Soft Never. 

I know, you are thinking what is the Soft Never? 

Think about how many times we say never or hear never.

I could never do that. I could never say no. I can never set that boundary. I could never do what they do.

You probably are saying…. Oh yes! The Never!  Yep, I do that, say think, think that and hear that all the time.

The Soft Never challenges us to say what if, well maybe it's really not never, my is a soft never.

Cortney shares about h er Soft Never, how this vision started and her mission to help others turn down the volume on the Never and think about the possibilities.

This episode is packed with wisdom, how to look at things from a different way and how to find the blessings in the twists and turns and boy, doesn't life throw a lot of those our way.

You will want to get in on this Soft Never community, so you can spotlight your never and celebrate how you are overcoming the nevers with others.

Welcome Cortney to Stories Connect People podcast.

Bio - Cortney Farmer

Cortney Farmer is a writer, storyteller, and business owner. In 2020, she and her husband, Scott, co-founded The Soft Never, an online community dedicated to celebrating the gifts and blessings that come when we eliminate the "never mindset" in our lives. When not developing original content at The Soft Never, she works as a Director of Content at a digital growth agency and as a freelance writer. A lifelong New Englander, Cortney lives in Seacoast New Hampshire with Scott and their two sons.

Follow The Soft Never:  

https://www.instagram.com/thesoftnever/ - Instagram

TheSoftNever - Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TheSoftNever

Stories Connect People Podcast

My guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Will Conway.

Will shares about his life growing up, as a young professional he was doing really well, he was engaged to married and life was good.  Yet, he began to feel like something was missing, he had lost some of himself and he wasn't allowing his own story to come through. He was so focused on sharing the stories of others, he had not focused on sharing his own story.

Will decided to leave everything behind and set out to explore the world. This led to incredible experiences, meeting amazing people that showed him how beautiful people could be and it lead to some incredible, moving and life changing experiences and stories….

Will shares some of those stories and how he learned about human empathy and authenticity. He has turned those stories into a podcast, Baggage Claim (travel stories no one tells) and a FB community, Authentic Travelers.

I describe Will as being pretty cool.  So see for youself, welcome Will to Stories Connect People podcast.

Baggage Claim - Will Conway

Baggage Claim is the gritty, real story of what happens when a man-child follows one too many travel "influencers" on Instagram, mumbles "hey I can travel too" in the mirror and strikes out for adventure, whatever that means. Join Will as he leaves behind his life - his career, his fiance, his apartment in New York City - to explore the globe only to find that the world out there is just as rife with confusion and awkwardness as life back home.

An innovative twist on audiodrama, this immersive, honest first-person memoir-style podcast tells the story of awkward, painful and powerful revelations in foreign lands. Stories about awkwardly fumbling through language barriers and developing powerful relationships with complete strangers. About accidentally illegally immigrating to Paraguay. About crouching on a toilet in a public bathroom for nearly an hour because he's convinced he's going to be kidnapped. This is the opposite of travel porn. It’s travel diarrhea. Often literally. Always metaphorically.

Baggage Claim is available mostly everywhere podcasts are heard, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher and more. The show is also available on YouTube.  Show notes for every episode include full transcription, credits, photos and additional insight, and are available here. Listeners in the United States and Canada can text CONNECT to (332) 877-9540 to engage directly and receive show updates and alerts. Those uncomfortable with texting or living internationally are encouraged to visit heybaggageclaim.com/connect to sign up for emails. Fans can also schedule personal Q&As via Zoom for their friends with host Will Conway by using this link. Additionally, a listing of all reviews, podcast appearances, interviews and other media appearances can be found here. Social media channels are available below:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baggageclaimpod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heybaggageclaim

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heybaggageclaim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heybaggageclaim/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heybaggageclaim

Tumblr: https://heybaggageclaim.tumblr.com/

Stories Connect People Podcast

My guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Shelley Loving.

Shelley found her purpose after her husband had a massive heart attack at age 41. This led them to eating better and living a healthier life.  This became her mission, her passion and her purpose.

Shelley is a Certified Nutrition Chef and teaches others how they can make simple changes in their daily food choices to gain better control of their health.  Shelley has an amazing website, a great community of supporters who encourage others and an array of masterclasses, blogs and other ways to educate us on everything from shopping to recipe makeovers. She approaches it in the most fun and easy to follow and down to earth way.Shelley is not suggesting impossible diets or major overhauls. She is talking about simple changes that can make a difference.

You will love the joy she exudes about food and you will surely want to follow Shelleycanhelp on IG and FB to see how you can make small simple changes too.

Welcome Shelley to Stories Connect People podcast.  

Shelley Loving -

Shelley Loving is a nutrition chef, but her journey may surprise you. In 2014, her husband, at the young age of 41, almost died on Super Bowl Sunday of a massive heart attack. That life-changing event was the catalyst on which she built her business, Shelley Can Help. She helps other people hit that reset button on the foods they eat, teaches others the power food has on our health and how they feel. She encourages us to cook just a little healthier. 

@ShelleyCanHelp on all social media

 www.shelleycanhelp.com

Carolyn Kiel - Beyond6Seconds

My guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Carolyn Kiel. Carolyn is the host of the podcast, Beyond 6 Seconds. She helps showcase the great work of entrepreneurs, CEOs and even media personalities. She focuses on how they built their career and how they've overcome obstacles to get to where they are today.

Carolyn shares her own career story, learnings and some best practices as she navigated her way to the position she has today. Her learnings can be applied in so many ways. I love how she articulates her story and how she shares the foundation she built along the way that she leverages today!

Finally, you will hear about her passion as an a cappella singer and at the end, I added in a short clip that shows off her talent!

Carolyn my fellow podcaster, welcome to Stories Connect People podcast.

Guest - Carolyn Kiel

 www.beyond6seconds.net

Carolyn Kiel (pronounced "KEEL") is a training manager at Verizon, where she designs employee training for new products and promotions. Prior to working in learning & development, she held roles in change management, risk management, and data governance in the financial services industry. Carolyn has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Vassar College and a master's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

In her spare time, Carolyn hosts the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs, CEOs and media personalities about how they’ve overcome obstacles to build their careers and achieve their goals. She has more than 100 episodes published.

Carolyn is also a singer who has performed in a cappella groups during and after college. She has sung in several well-known venues in the NY City area.

Carolyn provided a recording of her signing a cappella a verse/chorus of Auld Lang Syne 

Stories Connect People Podcast

My guest on Stories Connect People podcast is Jamie Lassner. 

Jamie today serves as the Executive Director of Friends of Access Israel. Where he and the organization focus on accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. If you listened to the podcast episode # 33 with Ruth Willatt where we talked about the Shanga organization in Arusha, Tanzania you will remember we talked about a man who made the climb to Mt Kilimanjaro possible for an employee, Masoud. Jamie shares all about how this dream for Masoud came about,  Masoud's climb and what that meant for so many and how Masoud is going to be Jamie's own guide in his return trek to reach the peak. 

Jamie's passion for advocating for people with disabilities started at a young age. His family was a family than supported others and gave back.  Many years later his best friend Alan was critically injured in a accident leaving him wheelchair bound.  This only fueled Jamie's passion for helping others.

Today he is making a difference in the lives of so many. Friends of Access Israel focuses on  awareness, advocacy, education and inclusion. You will love Jamie's story, his passion and his mission.

Welcome Jamie to Stories Connect People podcast.

Jamie's Bio

James Lassner

Jamie was born in Bogotá, Colombia Bags

He graduated with a degree in Finance and Psychology from Baruch College of the City University of New York. 

For 22 years, post-graduation, he worked in executive positions in international commodity trading companies specializing in recycling and reclaiming metals. 

He is a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (and has been since 1986) and was injured during the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He changed his career to work with adolescent children in schools and for 6 years as Director of Student Life at K-8 private school.

Since mid 2019 he has been serving as Executive Director and board member of Friends of Access Israel.

Friends of Access Israel’s (FAISR) strives to globally improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and the elderly via advocacy, education, and inclusion. With each improvement we empower them to live self-determined lives enabling them to work, travel, study, and consume with dignity, equality, and maximum independence.

It is the Friends of Access Israel belief that everything is Accessible Together. A clear example is two Friends of Access Israel Expedition Groups  conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2020 becoming the largest group with disabilities to reach the "Roof of Africa" at 19341 feet. 

Contact Information

James A. Lassner

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.FAISR.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FAISR.ORG/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/f.aisr/

Twitter: @F_AISR 

Stories Connect People Podcast

Shanga is a successful social enterprise which employs people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality, handmade jewelry, glassware and home wares incorporating recycled materials. These products are sold in Tanzania and all over the world, with profits being reinvested back into developing opportunities to employ more people with disabilities.

SHANGA (Located at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge)

www.shanga.com

https://www.facebook.com/ShangaTanzania

https://www.instagram.com/shanga_tanzania/

What a great way to kick off 2021!  My guest today on Stories Connect People podcast is Eva Grayzel. Eva is a motivational speaker, an incredible storyteller, an oral cancer survivor and an author!

Eva was pursuing a career  as an actress when she found her calling and passion, telling stories. She developed an interactive way to tell stories unlike anyone else.  That took her from the classroom to today where she performs for audiences all over the country.

Eva was at the top of her game when she had what they thought was a canker sore on her tongue a couple years later she discovered she had Stage IV Oral Cancer.

Eva will share her background, how she found her passion, how her life was impacted by cancer, how she came out of that even stronger and now is an advocate for patients and oral cancer screenings. She warns us of the importance of screening and what we should minimally expect from our dentist.

Eva's is a 22 year cancer survivor and at her 10 year milestone she authored a children's book, M.C. Plays Hide & Seek. When she was diagnosed she had 2 young children. It wasn't easy and she later wrote this book to help families communicate, to help children understand cancer, promote dialogue and help them better understand and address their feelings. 

Eva offered a great gift for you so listen for this in the podcast and you will hear other incredible gems from her story and resources on her website that you will not want to miss! It might help you leave your own legacy.

Welcome Eva to Stories Connect People podcast.

Follow Eva Grayzel:

Purchase the book, M.C. Plays Hide & Seek -

https://www.amazon.com/M-C-Plays-Hide-Seek-Grayzel/dp/1645431436/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VVO1BVNVSDG7&dchild=1&keywords=m.c.+plays+hide+and+seek&qid=1609730579&sprefix=m.c.+plays%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1

https://www.evagrayzel.com/stories

https://www.evagrayzel.com/six-step-screening

https://www.evagrayzel.com/my-story-legacy

https://www.evagrayzel.com/blog

Follow on social media

https://www.facebook.com/evagrayzel/

https://www.instagram.com/evagrayzel/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/unavailable/

https://www.youtube.com/user/EvaGrayzel

Press Release 

“Don’t hide a cancer diagnosis from young ones,” Grayzel said. “Children of all ages are intuitive. The scary part is the unknown. This book opens the lines of communication to address questions and fears in a gentle and age-appropriate way.” When a schoolmate, friend or family member gets a cancer diagnosis, children can have a healthy response instead of turn away with apprehension.

Grayzel wishes she had paid attention to the emotional impact of her disease on her children who were five and seven. “Everyone was so concerned with me, no one thought about how my disease affected my children,” Grayzel said. To mark her 10-year cancer free anniversary, Grayzel dedicated herself to empower children like her own with coping skills and communication strategies.

M.C. Plays Hide & Seek, is the third book in the Talk4Hope Family Book Series, which includes Mr. C The Globetrotter (not yet gender neutral), and My Story Legacy, a 12-page guide to document personal stories, a gift as valuable as material possessions. MC, now gender neutral in the 2nd edition of this book, is a cancer cell who shares just enough information about the nature of the disease to promote dialogue and minimize fear.

Grayzel is in full remission after receiving a 15% chance of survival more than 20 years ago. She is a nationally recognized motivational keynote speaker, patient advocate, and author. Grayzel has dedicated her second chance at life to educating, inspiring, and motivating change by telling her story. Follow Eva Grayzel on Instagram: @evagrayzel and visit evagrayzel.com for more information.

Based on the book One Word That Will Change Your Life

http://jongordon.com/books/one-word/