This legendary Buddhist bon vivant, restauranteur, hotelier and serial entrepreneur’s only conscious memory of his mother is watching her grab her head and die of a brain aneurysm when he was five. Nevertheless, nearly 50 years later, Tracey Ryans' wondrous self-made empire of business, personal and spiritual success, has transformed this gregarious seeker into an arbiter of “cool” at the forefront of branding and creative activism. His wife calls him as a “pathological optimist” and his billion dollar smile fills any room he enters with hope (even virtually). The fifth guest in Swan Dive's Wide Awakes activation, Tracey's palpable hunger for human connection and civic joy is exactly what society needs to prioritize right now. Tracey shares how, not long ago, while he sat cross-legged for 14 days in an excruciatingly painful silent meditation, his mother visited him. Plain as day, Tracey watched her, as she sponged his aching shoulder (an old sports injury) with a cool cloth. What she said to him in that tender moment affirmed for Tracey that none of us are ever alone. And the time that we do spend alone can be the richest of all. Listen now on Swan Dive!

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We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Imagine starting an Internet company amidst the wreckage of the first Dotcom crash, then growing that company to 250 people and selling for nearly $200 million. Next, a bit of "healthy stalking and serendipity" got Chrysi Philalithes to RED, Bono's AIDS organization, where, as Chief Digital Officer, she mixed technology and altruism to creatively raise $600 million and improve global health over 10 years. "It was really the dream brand for me because it combined all of my interested: tech, culture, entertainment, media and purpose,” says this digital/marketing/communications superstar. Such thinking put Chrysi on The Guardian’s “50 Women to Watch” list. And drives her involvement today as the founder of NYLON LAB, a culture and innovation lab serving for-profits & non-profits ranging from The Grammys to For Freedoms. The fourth guest in our Wide Awakes activation, Chrysi personifies the notion of trusting intuition (it doesn't hurt when that intuition borders on magical). "What I learned was to trust my gut of how people communicate, because I’m fascinated and obsessed by that. And then not be afraid to jump, even when it was something completely new," says our amazing next guest on Swan Dive!

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Michelle Woo is Wide Awake, but that was not always the case. This incredibly humble yet fabulously accomplished behind-the-scenes leader at For Freedoms and the Wide Awakes shares how she remembers little of her life up to a few years ago due to being distracted for most of it. Motherhood changed that,  and Michelle now actively practices  mindfulness through meditation. The results speak for themselves, as this artist, cultural producer, art historian and arts business consultant now helps lead the largest cultural collaboration in US history, fighting injustice and getting out the vote in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. The third guest in our Wide Awakes activation, Michelle Woo's magnificent Swan Dive into her own awareness inspires us all to engage and be here now. Photo courtesy of Jeff Vespa. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Imagine knowing virtually nothing of a father who disappeared, then getting a text at 42 from an unknown cousin saying, "We might be related." Immediately, the generous warmth of a large, loving family replaces the cold emptiness of a son abandoned. For over a decade, visual artist Yashua Klos has employed a unique process of paper construction and  woodblock printing to engage ideas about blackness and maleness from his cultural  perspective as a native Chicagoan. Now, his practice and life are in fabulous flux, as he surrenders to a sea of love and appreciation engulfing him and aims to mark the legacy of his newly discovered family's migration from the South to working class Detroit. Swan Dive's third guest in our Wide Awakes activation, Yashua's award-winning work has been shown in museums and  galleries across the globe, featured in the NYT, and earned him a Joan Mitchell Fellowship and a NYFA grant. He's also Stu's favorite artistic discovery of 2020. Klos is  represented by Tilton Gallery in New York and Galerie Anne De Villepoix in Paris. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Gina Belafonte has excelled at many things. An accomplished actress, director and activist and the youngest child of Julie and Harry Belafonte, Gina produced HBO’s internationally acclaimed documentary, SING YOUR SONG, exploring the extraordinary life and legacy of her father; the film was selected to open the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. As Executive Director of Sankofa.org, a social justice organization that educates, motivates, and activates artists and allies in service of grassroots, equitable change, Gina works with diverse artists, activists and organizations worldwide to promote cultural and civic engagement. Among these are For Freedoms and The Wide Awakes, currently involved in the largest collaboration of cultural leaders in U.S. history with nationwide civic actions leading up to and after the 2020 election. This episode is the first of a series of activations created in collaboration with leading voices and visionaries within the Wide Awakes movement. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Africa's first black, female neurosurgeon, Dr. J. Nozipo Maraire received her undergraduate degree from Harvard and her neurosurgery training at Yale. During residency, she wrote the novel, Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter, a 1996 New York Times "Notable Book of the Year." In 2010, her vision for cutting-edge, affordable health care in Southern Africa, Ecosurgica, won her the British Airways Entrepreneur Face to Face Award. Her TED talk titled “Indigenous and Indigenius” has enjoyed thousands of favorable reviews. With a resume like this, you'd think Nozipo would define herself by the accolades above. But you'd be wrong. Honoring the African principal of Ubuntu which means,"I am because we are" or "humanity towards others," our amazing guest defines herself in service to the greater community. Nozipo lives in Harare, Zimbabwe with her husband, Allen, also a doctor (and prior guest on Swan Dive) and their 4 beautiful children. 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

The biggest challenge most of us face before we swan dive is  internal, the conflict btw our ingrained belief systems and what we know we must do to find contentment. Harvard-trained psychologist and trauma expert, Christine Rothberg, unpacks this complex notion of "maladaptive behavior" - behavior that prevents you from making adjustments that are in your own best interest. This surprisingly meaty episode  looks under the greasy hood of the human pivot ... and helps us get our engines humming for a big change. Plus, as an added bonus, you can hear Stu go to therapy. The psychology of the Swan Dive gets inside your head right now! 

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Holly Rilinger is one of the top fitness instructors in the world.  Her instructor career followed years as one of the best professional basketball players in the world ... which followed her All-American college basketball career. Holly has always been at the top of her game, until she wasn’t. After injuries put an end to her professional career, Holly was left without an identity and was no longer connecting to the passion that fueled everything she did for her entire life. That’s when Holly had to “tap the source” and access the passion once again. Holly.life is now helping people all over the world with exercise, nutrition and mindfulness. And she is most definitely at the top of her game On this episode of Swan Dive, we explore how Holly got her grove back! 
 

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We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

Melissa Ross's steady, confident voice can be heard throughout Florida on NPR affiliate WJCT FM in Jacksonville ... and nationally, as Fill-In Host for The Diane Rehm Show. As the 11-year host of "First Coast Connect," her firm-but-fair interview style has earned her Emmy's and national recognition as one of America's top radio news personalities. 20 years ago, her young reporting career took a drastic turn on 9-11. As the country collapsed into fear, Fox News purchased her station and immediately dictated that all coverage be hyper-partisan and flattering to the Republican administration. For a woman with a deep sense of journalistic ethics, that did not feel right and caused her to depart what had been a blossoming career. That was the beginning of her incredible Swan Dive. Along with her daily morning show, she now co-hosts the highly respected "Florida Roundup" every Friday, a valued source for facts-based news reporting and analysis. Today, Melissa connects and inspires across a deeply divided community. And continues to be be a force for objectivity in our lamentably "post-truth" society. Welcome to her Swan Dive!

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]

For Dr Allen Chiura, a profound difference exists between success and significance. Zimbabwean born, this exceptional Urological Surgeon studied and practiced in the USA for nearly 30 years. Eight years ago, while living and working in the snowy mountains of Klamath Falls, OR, he and his wife, also a Zimbabwean doctor, realized something critical was missing from their lives. With four beautiful children and thriving medical practices, they were, by most measures, very successful in the States. Yet, both felt they could be more "significant" in their homeland. Dr Chiura returned to Zim in 2012 to open his Urology practice and facilitate the training of much-needed young surgical subspecialists. That was just the beginning of a patriotic journey to serve the nation he left as a young man but never stopped loving. After a rough start, Dr Chiura now has a thriving practice and is on the verge of opening a new hospital. He is Co-President of the Discovereum, the first and only Interactive Children’s Museum, in Zimbabwe. A former rugby player and avid golfer, he is a Board Member of the National Sports and Recreation Commission of Zimbabwe. His life is every bit significant. Welcome to Dr Chiura's Swan Dive!

Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!

We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: [email protected] or Stu: [email protected]