The Alignment Show

This week, I’m joined by Tracy Rees, an educator, coach, and founder of Authentic Pathways Coaching and Consulting. I've known Tracy for years, and she’s always sought to help others grow. Now, she’s expanding her impact by blending her passion for teaching with the power of coaching.

We dug into her journey of professional growth, what led her to launch her own coaching business while still teaching, and how these two roles complement and strengthen each other. If you've ever wondered how to expand your impact and serve others in new ways—this conversation is for you!

Though we recorded the interview a few months ago, her journey remains current. Her coaching aligns perfectly with the goals of The Alignment Show, helping people identify and follow their values for a valuable life.

Resources we discussed include:

* A link that will stay current as Tracy continues to build out her website and means of contact: DonnKing.com/Tracy.

* I missed sharing Tracy's comment (live) during the broadcast, but she reminded me that you can reach her by email at [email protected] if you have questions or would like more information. Check that out!

* Our shows sponsors:

* Saleswise Live is coming up again in early April.

* Find all of Donn’s book at DonnKing.com/Books

If you get value from the show, consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee. You can make a one-time contribution or sign up for regular support. Your support helps me continue helping you and others!

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

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Last week I had a great interview with Jo Penn on The Alignment Show. But we had tech issues. I wanted to make a better version available for solopreneurs and writers. Here I'm uploading a higher quality version. The video links below will point to replays of the original broadcast (except for the “extra” YouTube link), but you can see the recut version on Substack. If you’re listening to the audio podcast, it is the audio from the recut version.

Joanna Penn is a trailblazer in independent publishing, a pioneer in Kindle publishing, and a forward-thinking creator embracing the role of an AI-assisted artisan author. With nearly 40 books to her name—spanning fiction, nonfiction, and short stories—her impact on modern publishing is unmatched.

Her craft books, like "How to Market a Book" and "How to Write Non-Fiction," are must-reads for anyone serious about writing and publishing in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. Now, Joanna is back with a completely rewritten and updated second edition of "How to Write Non-Fiction," tailored to meet the needs of modern writers in the digital age.

We were privileged to host Joanna in January 2024, and we’re thrilled to welcome her back for another insightful conversation. Get ready to learn from one of the most innovative voices in the writing world as we discuss her journey, her creative process, and her vision for the future of publishing.

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* Facebook

* YouTube (broadcast)

* YouTube (recut)

The resources we discussed include:

* Runway.ml for video

* Midjourney

* Michael Bungay Stanier episode on Jo's podcast

* The Creative Penn website

* Creative Penn books

* J.F. Penn books

* Donn’s books

* Donn’s free short story, “Writing Home” (aka, “The Cheese Sample”)

You can support the show. Just Buy Me a Coffee—now with the option of monthly support. Thank you very much for helping me continue to help you and others!

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Make sure you don’t miss shownotes or episodes. It’s free!

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In this episode, we dive into an inspiring conversation with Bill Dickinson, a renowned executive coach who has spent over 30 years transforming leaders across industries, companies, and nonprofits. Drawing on his 25 years as a Roman Catholic priest, Bill shares how his deep study of leadership and authenticity not only shaped his work training other priests but also sparked a profound personal realization. When his passion for authenticity revealed he wasn’t living authentically himself, Bill made the courageous decision to leave the priesthood. Now, he channels his unique journey into helping others embrace their calling and develop impactful, authentic leadership. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking to lead with purpose and integrity.

We talked about these and other resources:

* Saleswise Live™ is having another go-round, this time virtually so you don’t have to worry about travel! If you’re reading/watching/listening before 20 January 2025, you can get in on the training for 29-31 January. Never fear—if you’re reading this after that, the plan to hold one about once a quarter.

* You can find almost all of Donn King’s books at DonnKing.com/books. Plus, for a limited time you can check out Donn’s style as well as the flavor of “The Sparklight Chronicles” and get a free short story at DonnKing.com/FreeWritingHome.

* Reach Bill by email at [email protected].

* Check out his company’s website at https://www.c3leadership.org/.

* Get a copy of Bill’s book, Optimizing Self: A Guided Workbook to Elevate Your Impact as a Leader.

* Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

Plus, this is the first episode where we share not just the audio, but also the video right here on Substack. Let us know what you think about that!

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

Want to help support the show? We will soon turn on paid subscriptions here and open up a Patreon with extras. Or you can just Buy Me a Coffee (which has options for ongoing support as well).

You know someone struggling with similar issues. Help them out!

Make sure you keep up with future guests and never miss the show notes.

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It’s a rare guest whose life story leads to an actual movie, but that’s true for today’s guest! Her memoir inspired the TV movie “Stolen By Their Father.”

In this episode, Lizbeth shares:✨ How her work with trauma survivors prepared her for her own challenges.✨ The harrowing journey of reclaiming her children after their abduction.✨ The shocking discovery of her own kidnapping as a child—and the resilience it sparked.

As I said in the observations, the particulars of Lizbeth’s story is so rare, you might look at it and think you can’t relate. But Lizbeth and every guest on “The Alignment Show” demonstrates in their particulars something useful to us all, i.e., how to harness resilience. You will find something here that will encourage you in your own journey, and that’s what we’re all about.

Resources in this episode include:

* Lizbeth’s memoir, Pieces of Me.

* Her book aimed at helping people develop their resilience, Grounded in Grit.

* Her latest book, embodying the Alaskan phrase about the view from a woman’s standpoint regarding the skewed ratio of men to women in Alaska, “The odds are good, but the good are odd,” Tilka Faces the Odds, One Man at a Time.

* The book that includes an essay from Lizbeth, Goodbye For Now: True Stories of Life, Love, and Loss.

* Lizbeth’s website, LAMeredith.com.

* Lizbeth’s YouTube channel, “Tame Trauma and Build Resilience Through Story.”

* Donn’s books, DonnKing.com/books.

* The new free (for now) short story from Donn, DonnKing.com/FreeWritingHome.

* The upcoming virtual edition of Saleswise Live™.

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

Someone you know needs to hear this. Share it with them now!

Make sure you don’t miss an episode and its show notes!

Thanks for reading The Confidence Cultivator! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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Even the most negative experiences can yield lessons that have a positive impact. The Alignment Show returns with an extraordinary interview featuring Yankel Meislin—a man whose transformative journey grips the heart and inspires the soul. Whether you’re religious or not, Yankel’s story of redemption, resilience, and rediscovery delivers powerful lessons for anyone seeking personal growth.

Yankel grew up as a secular Jew, thriving in sports and community life, until temptations from the streets pulled him off course at 14. By 19, he dealt drugs at such a high level that he hired a gang-affiliated bodyguard to protect him. When his family issued an ultimatum—leave “the life” or lose them—he chose to turn his life around.

He entered rehab and threw himself into 12-step programs, where he began a spiritual journey reconnecting him with his Jewish roots. Serendipitous encounters with a Chassidic Rabbi deepened his faith and led him to embrace the Chassidic way of life. Today, with 16 years of sobriety, he inspires others with his story and example.

Resources mentioned include:

* Yankel’s book, The Journey to Oz.

* Ignite Your Flame Coaching.

* Upcoming Saleswise Live™—hurry, the next one is at the end of January 2025!

* Brand new free short story in the Sparklight Chronicles series, “Writing Home.”

* Donn’s books.

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack. We’re happy for audio listeners, but more and more we’re able to share comments that are only available in video, so you may want to check one of these out.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

You know someone who could use this encouragement.

We’re publishing on an irregular schedule, so it’s even more important than ever that you subscribe to make sure you don’t miss an episode and learn about upcoming guests.

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As the subhead says, this is embarrassing. This is what happens when a) you deal with ADHD, and b) you break from your normal routine.

“Your promo says Oct. 9, Donn, but this post seems to be nearly a month later, Nov. 8,” you say. And you have a good point. What happened is that we actually broadcast the episode on Oct. 9, as planned. But just yesterday as I came here to set up the next episode, I noticed that we had never posted the replay and show notes for Episode 74. (And by “we,” I mean “I.” It’s all my fault.)

Doh!

So, late though it is, here is the info for that episode, because it provides a good bridge into what follows. As I write this, I’m getting the next broadcast ready, and I’ll tell you about that in a later post. In any case, here is the material for Episode 74.

In this solo episode I talked a little about what’s happened the last couple of months and what the plans are for the future. We have several episodes already recorded, and plans for more. Plus, as I mentioned in our last episode, we have some format changes coming up. The brief version: episodes will be recorded rather than live (though we will take advantage of live streaming to release episodes, and I’ll do my best to be on at the same time so I can help get your comments posted and responded to during the broadcast). The length of each episode will be shorter. And the release time for each episode will vary week to week—and I’ll talk about why, and why we’re running counter to the usual advice about “consistency,” later.

As always, though, you can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn Live (note: the replay seems to be having problems—you may need to watch one of the other options)

* Facebook Live

* YouTube Live

Thanks for reading The Confidence Cultivator! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Get full access to The Confidence Cultivator at confidencecultivator.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingschronicles.substack.com/subscribe

You have probably moved residences more than once. You probably thought about it for a long time before doing so, and found it stressful. A few of you have moved to a different state, fewer still to a different country.

Rachael Herron moved halfway around the world and managed it all within six months or so—during the height of the pandemic! And then she wrote a book about it.

I will guarantee you that if you listen to this conversation, you will gain encouragement for your own challenges and difficult decisions. You will even learn a bit about managing your fear, how to differentiate fear you should pay attention to from fear you should transcend, and insights into taking steps instead of leaping into the void. We even touched on transforming from stuff owning us to us owning stuff .

We’re taking a pause after this episode, so be sure to take advantage of this deep, engaging conversation!

Folks, we talked about a bunch of things this week. They include:

* Rachael previously came on the show to talk about her journey into becoming a full-time author. You can hear it on Episode 43.

* We talked about several best-selling books we both know, including one called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers.

* We also mentioned Quit by Annie Duke.

* Another great memoir is Educated by Tara Westover.

* Of course, we talked about Rachael’s books. Her latest is her memoir about moving from the United States to New Zealand, entitled Unstuck. It’s more than a memoir. It’s also a great guide to experiencing the freedom of choice, even (maybe especially) when you think you have none.

* Rachael has a bunch more books, too. We specifically talked about A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter and Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours.

* You can find all of Rachael’s books in one place at her website especially for said books. Her main website has a lot of good information as well.

* Join Rachael’s Patreon, where you will get all kinds of solid information on writing of various kinds as well as the opportunity for a ridiculously low price to join her writing community.

* Rachael’s newsletter also shares great insights on writing.

* Rachael has a long-running podcast, currently called “Ink in Your Veins.” You can find it on your favorite podcatcher, but I like to get it on Rachael’s YouTube channel.

* Saleswise Live is coming up September 22-24, 2024 at The Ben Hotel, West Palm Beach, Florida. Along with the fantastic principals of Bob Burg, Jeff West, and Kim Angeli, they will have special guest Richard Weylman.

* My list of books is growing! Bookmark DonnKing.com/books to stay up to date.

If you gain value from the show, consider supporting our work by buying me a coffee. Special thanks to those of you who have bought more than one, and who have signed up for ongoing support. You help me continue to help you and others!

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

Share this with someone who needs the encouragement. It’s free, and they will thank you!

Make sure you get show notes and don’t miss upcoming guests. We’ll be back the first week in September!

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Despite some technical challenges, we had a great conversation with Kim Angeli this week. Kim has had a stellar career in entrepreneurship and sales built on the foundation of genuine relationships. You can see something significant in her approach in her coaching and business by the fact that she has never made a cold call. She continues to coach multi-million dollar executives, and recently began serving as one of the three experts featured in Saleswise Live. Her entrepreneurial journey, like most, has had its ups and downs, leading her to base her practice in cultivating gratitude.

Among other resources we discussed:

* The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know by Bob Beaudine

* The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield

* 100 Proven Ways to Acquire and Keep Clients for Life by Richard Weylman

* Timely info: next Wednesday, July 17, at 2 PM Eastern time, Kim will, along with Bob Burg and Jeff West, offer a free preview of the upcoming Saleswise Live. Mention the code “ALIGN” in the “Questions and Comments” box, and I will send you free ebook copies of The Way of the Three-Year-Old Why and Medium Well: The Journey from Believing to Believing In, the first two books in the Sparklight Chronicles.

* Or if you just want to check out copies of either book, find them here.

* If you get value from this podcast, consider supporting what we do with a one-time payment or set up ongoing support at BuyMeACoffee.

Remember that we will have no broadcasts in August as we retool for a different format. But stay tuned for more of The Alignment Show!

Next week, our guest will be Cristina Bianca Harsan, a native of Romania now living in the United Kingdom. Despite a thriving career as a translator and interpreter, she felt a deep emptiness and longing for more. This led her to explore Reiki and Tarot, which helped her find healing and spiritual growth. Through these practices, Cristina found peace and a deeper sense of connection, enriching both her personal life and professional work. We will talk with her about her journey through multiple changes, lessons you can use in navigating your own journey.

You can catch video replays of Kim Angeli’s conversation at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

You know someone who needs this shot of energy! Don’t keep it to yourself!

Make sure to get show notes and info on upcoming guests. It’s free!

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This week we talked with Vanessa Judelman, who is president of Mosaic People Development. For over twenty years, Vanessa has helped clients develop leaders who inspire great results. She started as an assistant at a training company and worked her way up through almost all the roles, learning every aspect of business from the ground up. She then started her own company. From her experience working “in the trenches” herself as a leader, she teaches her clients a very practical approach to leadership that she has used to develop her own high-performing teams. We talked about the insights she learned from her time teaching high school through her own school of experience in effective leadership and how she now does that for clients. Our conversation will help you mine your own experience to help you live your values and value your life.

Among other resources, we talked about:

* Mosaic People Development, Vanessa’s home base for making a huge difference to her clients.

* Connect with Vanessa on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessajudelman/; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessajudelman/; X: https://x.com/MosaicPD

* Vanessa’s book, Mastering Leadership: What it Takes to Lead in Today's Fast Paced World.

* Donn’s books.

* Saleswise Live will have their second gathering in early September. If you work in any profession that involves influencing people (sales, consulting, ministry, politics, lots of others), Saleswise Live will help you help others. It costs nothing to check it out, so take a look.

If you receive value from our podcast, consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee. It helps me keep on helping you and others.

You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

You know someone who could use this inspiration. Don’t keep it to yourself!

Make sure you don’t miss the show notes or upcoming guests. It’s free!

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingschronicles.substack.com/subscribe

We talked this week with Shannon Crotty about how she got started publishing a magazine, and later jumped in with both feet to found a a global connection company called Polka Dot Powerhouse, aimed at fostering friendships and business relationships among women. Her community includes members from the US, UK, Canada, Europe, and Australia, and it all started (and continues) because of the support from her sister, Tina, who passed away in 2010.

She has distilled her experience in a book entitled No One Is Peeing in the Deep End: A Survival Guide for Launching a Dream. Shannon completely exemplifies persistence in following your heart, the core of living your values so you can value your life. Follow along for this inspiring conversation that will help you in whatever matters to you!

Among the things we talked about:

* Find Shannon’s book on Amazon.

* Check out Polka Dot Powerhouse.

* Check out Shannon’s website to work with her as a speaker and to watch for her upcoming book on forming friendships in adulthood.

* Connect with Shannon on Instagram.

* Connect with Shannon on Facebook.

* If you need to influence people in your life (and who doesn’t?), you owe it to yourself to see if Saleswise Live will help you serve better.

* If you haven’t already read one of the Sparklight Chronicles books, check them out. You will find support for your own journey, and it never hurts to look.

Thank you to those who have supported the show already! If you get value from the show or from an episode, you can Buy Me a Coffee, which helps me continue helping you and others

.You can catch video replays at the following links, or hear audio replays at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack.

* LinkedIn

* YouTube

* Facebook

You know someone who could benefit from hearing Shannon’s story. Don’t keep it to yourself!

Make sure you don’t miss an episode. The subscription is free!

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingschronicles.substack.com/subscribe