The Curious Middle

Dr. Stanger works with families to help them recover and get their loved ones back from substance addiction. Dr. Stanger is also the mother of a previous guest, Shelby Stanger who shared how outdoor adventures shaped her life. Dr. Louise Stanger and Shelley Stanger are also our first mother and daughter guests on the podcast (how cool is that?!)

In this episode, we discuss what an introductory call with Dr. Stanger is like and how to pay for interventions or how to find other resource options through SAHMSA for people who can't afford an interventionist. Dr. Stanger has helped thousands of families with interventions and speaks with passion about her work,"I love it. Love it. I absolutely love it", says Dr. Stanger.

Dr. Stanger's own family history with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide allows her to understand the pain families are feeling. Dr. Stanger's expertise and dedication remind us that even in life's darkest moments, there are people who have devoted their lives to helping others recover.

To learn more about Dr. Stanger's work, visit her website and sign up for her blog. And if you know a family in need of an intervention, you can confidently refer them to Dr. Stanger.

Dr. Stanger

Shelby Stanger

SAMHSA

Dr. Stanger's Books on Amazon

When Graham Cochrane had to choose between his lifelong dream of being in a rock band or supporting his new family, he made the biggest pivot of his life. Newly married, on food stamps and between jobs, Graham had an idea to help musicians by sharing his knowledge of audio engineering and music. Shortly after Graham started creating online courses and videos to help people with audio engineering, his new career as an online sales rockstar was launched. 

We love that even during Graham’s most challenging times on food stamps, he and his wife committed to donating a portion of their income to charity. They have kept that practice and these days are ,giving an astonishing 50% of their earnings to charity. Graham says,"we committed to increase our standard of giving every year, not just our standard of living.".

 If you want to capitalize and earn money in your online business or by sharing what you know. Listen in for tips on how to make it happen.

Dana Perino, Fox News, Co-anchor America's Newsroom, Co-host The Five, host of Perino on Politics, Former Press Secretary to George W. Bush returns to Meant For It. In addition to learning about Dana's early influences and her career path, we touch on several issues of the day including news on social media, the Israel war and the time Dana met Putin. Dana also gives us the scoop on what hobby has been keeping her busy in the evenings. We're hoping Dana's new hobby leads her to a certain reality TV show for celebrities that has been on TV for over twenty seasons…

Most importantly, Dana reminds us that there have been times in US history when the country has been just as or even more divided and we pulled through to greater days. So if you find yourself in a panic about domestic politics, remember these words from Dana, "our system is the best system of an imperfect set of possibilities, and it does correct itself."

Dana Perino's advice on where to go for news:

"So that's all to say that I don't know how people are going to get their news. All I can advise people is that I still think there are trusted news sources by the brands that you recognize. And even though you might say, I feel like they're biased one way or the other, thinking people can factor that in, maybe read both types of papers if you have time."

Our first podcast with Dana is here where Dana shares the story of her career path, early infiences and why she loved her job as White House Press Secretary.

Topics covered::

• Dana's Attributes leading to success

• The power of gratitude and discipline in achieving success.

• Perspectives on national division and the role of social media.

• The disproportionate media focus on the Middle East.

• Dana shared experiences meeting Putin and interactions with President Bush.

If you're inspired by Dana's journey and insights, please share this episode with a friend and click "follow" https://www.instagram.com/meantforit/

Dana's Podcast Recommendations:

Call me back with Dan Senior

Podcasts Dana listens to:

• Three Martini Lunch Podcast

• Three Commentary Podcast

• Tim Dillon Podcast

Connect with us on Instagram @meantforit and reach out via email at [email protected] with your thoughts or suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.meantforit.com for more inspiring stories, and if you leave us a review on iTunes, we'll celebrate with a happy dance!

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Ashira Solomon is an international Public Speaker and Member of The Quad, an Israeli show with 4 co-hosts covering everything Israel and Jewish from the unique female perspective. In this episode Ashira a native of Livermore, California, takes us through her transformative journey that led her to embrace a new religion and to become an advocate of independent political thought in a world where identity politics seems to be the norm.

Ashira's story begins with her grandmother's dream to visit Israel. This dream, deeply rooted in family heritage, was the reason for Ashira's life-changing decision to move to Israel and study at the University of Haifa. We discuss Ashira's experiences of studying terrorism, peace psychology, and her eventual conversion to Judaism.

Listeners will be inspired by the ways Ashira challenges the assumptions placed upon her by academic advisors and peers alike. Her defiance against low expectations due to her race, and her refusal to conform to political ideologies simply based on her ethnicity, shows how Ashira is fiercely independent and intellectually curious.

We discuss what it is like to live as a black woman today in Israel, Ashira's conservative stance in a liberal state like California, and the misconceptions Ashira is fighting to correct among her American peers. Ashira shares what it really feels like to live and study in Israel and how political discourse between citizens varies in Israel and the US.

Zoom in to a topic you want tp hear first:

00:30-4:41 Childhood, conversion to Judaism, and decision to study in Israel. Experience studying terrorism, peace psychology, and learning Hebrew.

4:41-6:51 Deepening connection to Israel, language, and people. The start of the conversion process and sense of homecoming.

06:51-10:05 Influences and Evolution. Influence of family, advisors, and educational experiences. Struggles with beliefs and identity.

10:05-14:50 Reflections on creating unity amidst diverse perspectives. Importance of international experiences and understanding.

14:50-37:19 Efforts to unite black and Jewish communities. Participation in events, discussions, and initiatives for impact and dialogue.

43:2Ω Final thoughts and call to action for building bridges and creating a better world.

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

We are on Instagram @meantforit

• Reach out to us anytime: [email protected] to say hello or recommend someone for a future episode. We are impatiently waiting to hear from you...!

• Go to our website www.meantforit.com for past episodes.

• If you leave us a review on itunes we'l do a little happy dance ( maybe on video)

We are thrilled to share part 2 of our podcast with Tough Titties author Laura Belgray. If you have years of your life you would prefer to forget, relationships or lifestyle choices that make you cringe when you look back at them, Laura will empower you to reframe your life story, and possibly share it with others. Tough Tittie is the stealth self-help book you didn't konw you needed. As Laura says, what is the fun in reading about other people's success, when you can read about the juicy details of their struggles before they finally made it. After laughing your way through the chapters of Laura's life, go to Talkingshrimp.com, where Laura will teach you how to write copy that people actually want to read. Laura has classes and online materials that teach you how to write email lines that people want to open, and how to stop boring people with your writing. If your writing is already dazzling and witty, then you will still appreciate reading a memoir from someone who is truly a master at sharing just about everything.

Discussion Topics:

• Laura's ability to reframe embarrassing stories (00:25-1:20) - Laura's skill in turning embarrassing stories into something hilarious - The value of reframing personal history
• Laura's book as stealth self-help (1:20-7:22) - The impact of Laura's book on personal development - Laura's intention to write a non-traditional personal development book - Strategies for promoting the book and building an audience
• Laura's journey as a writer and her voice (08:09-19:36) - Laura's transition from writing in television to creating her own courses - Finding and utilizing one's unique voice in writing - Importance of using contractions to write conversationally
• Writing the tough chapters (20:05-21:28) - Challenges faced while writing certain chapters - Personal growth and self-reflection through writing
• Laura's measurement of success (26:08-27:33) - Rethinking success beyond measurable factors - The significance of personality and individuality
• Tips for writing engaging email subject lines (27:33 - 33:51)
• Part 1 of our conversation with Laura
• Laura's website
• Buy Toughtitties

A few of our favorite quotes from Laura in this episode:

"Don't we all find ourselves saying, "I'm sorry, I'm the worst," like five times a day?"

"Most people I know who are successful are also a mess in some way or another."

"I can't imagine writing a book that's not honest. It feels like no fun at all to try to be perfect in your writing."

"I've always felt like a late bloomer and taken a long time to do things."

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

We are on Instagram @meantforit

• Reach out to us anytime: [email protected] to say hello or recommend someone for a future episode. We would seriously love to hear from you!

• Go to our website www.meantforit.com for past episodes.

• If you leave us a review on itunes we'l do a little happy dance

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, the world's expert on narcissism, joins us for an overview on understanding, naming,and addressing narcissistic behavior, toxic relationships, and healing from narcissistic abuse. You may not know it, but chances are high that there is a narcissistic personality somewhere in your life. We discuss ways to identify narcissists, common personality traits and the need to accept that narcissists don't change.

Dr. Ramani has helped millions of followers on social media through her books and YouTube videos.

• Dr. Ramani's Essential Advice for Surviving a Divorce With a Narcissist
• Dr Ramani on Dealing with Narcissism at Work

Get Dr. Ramani's new Book: It's Not You

Follow Dr. Ramani here: Instragram, Youtube

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with a friend!

Follow us @meantforit, leave us a review, email us: [email protected]

Topics Discussed:

• Understanding, naming,and addressing narcisstic behavior, toxic relationships, and healing from narcisstic abuse.
• Challenges faced by individuals dealing with narcissistic parents or partners in family court systems that may not prioritize child welfare over parental rights. Dr.Ramani recommends support groups as well as self-education through reading books about the subject.
• Making excuses for toxic behavior.
• Being careful about to to share your experiences because others may not believe them or undermine your feelings.
• Teaching children and adults about unhealthy behaviors and giving them permission to step away from uncomfortable situations.
• How empathy can sometimes enable toxic behavior.
• Integrating naricissim education into curricula and in gender-based violence, domestic abuse, etc. education.
• Does society need narcissists? Advantages and disadvantages.

The Zibbyverse, founded by Zibby Owens, includes the podcast Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books, and Zibby Media, which includes a publishing house, online magazine, Zibby's Bookshop in Santa Monica, CA, retreats, classes, and events. As a lifelong book lover who dreamed of becoming a writer, Zibby was over the moon excited when she was dubbed "NYC's Most Powerful Book-fluencer". In our conversation, Zibby shares why she believes books have the to power to connect us and why Zibby fell in love with writing and publishing. We discuss events from Zibby's life that are shared in Zibby's memoir, Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature, and we hear about Zibby's debut novel "Blank" that comes out in March of 2024. And if all that is not enough, Zibby is also the mom of 4! How did she do it? Listen in to hear how not having time to read led to everything else in the Zibbyverse.

Sally Wolf is one of the most inspiring people we have talked to. If you don't believe us you can ask her classmates from her Stanford MBA program who voted her the "most inspiring" member of their class or her nephew who said she was the most positive person he knows. Sally spent two decades rising in the corporate sector in the media industry working at NBCUniversal and Time Warner before a series of cancer diagnoses changed her life and career focus. Today, Sally is the Founder and CEO of LightWorks, and a stage IV cancer thriver providing wellbeing consulting to corporate clients. After listening to this conversation, we think you will agree that Sally excels at positive psychology and making people feel like they can overcome all their challenges. We are in awe of Sally's ability to live with tremendous gratitude, to make meaning of her cancer struggle and to live with an abundance of joy and determination to help others. In addition to everything above, Sally is also an expert pole dancer. Bet you didn't expect that to be Sally's hobby.

• Sally's Career Milestones 04:07-07:19
• Positive Psychology and Gratitude 10:30-13:34
• Connecting Dots and Finding Meaning 13:42-15:08
• Embracing Emotions and Storytelling 22:04-25:28
• Amplifying Messages and Writing a Book 40:58-46:20
• Navigating Obstacles and Gratitude Journaling : 53:47-59:20
• Conclusion and Reflection 59:21-1:01:37

Don't miss this unforgettable conversation with a beautiful woman.

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend and follow us on Instagram @meantforit

• Reach out to us anytime: [email protected] to say hello or recommend somone for a future episode. We would really, really love to hear from you.

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Shelby Stanger's formula is living life with adventure. When Shelby realized that adventure gave her energy, joy and confidence, she intentionally scheduled and prioritized adventure into her life. By choosing adventure, Shelby found love, a career she loved and a way to bring other people the same gifts. Shelby's book, Will to Wild, Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life, shares what she has learned in her years covering adventurers. Shelby reveals the stories of adventure seekers such as hikers, surfers, runners, on how they faced their fears, got unstuck and found meaning and life guidance through their adventures. What we love about Shelby's story is how her life transformed and her life path emerged with each leap and decision Shelby made to choose authenticity and happiness. Shelby's advice for those who want to have their own adventure is to put down the deposit, and get ready for your world to expand.

For Giving Tuesday we are reposting our podcast with the founder of One Simple Wish.

After fostering and then adopting a newborn, Danielle found her life calling. A 2013 CNN Hero, Danielle has devoted herself to finding ways to help more than 400,000 children in foster care. Danielle founded One Simple Wish in 2008 with the goal of granting wishes to children in foster care across the country and those who've aged out of foster care. On One Simple Wish, people can  view wishes from foster children and make contributions that make those wishes come true. Wishes range from toys to school supplies, music lessons or trips to a theater or pool. 

In our conversation, Danielle shares the deeply personal story that led her to foster care, her experiences with the foster system and why children in the foster system need our attention and support. If you have been thinking of ways to contribute and help others One Simple Wish was started with the goal of giving people an opportunity to connect with foster kids and easily make meaningful contributions. 

Danielle is asking us to go to One Simple Wish and read the stories. She says, “just by you acknowledging their existence and their journey  and maybe sharing it with somebody else, or becoming more aware, you then become part of their village.” Research studies have shown a strong correlation between foster care and so many other critical issues in our society. Danielle’s vision is to connect people with foster kids while bringing light and awareness to the system, that in turn will hopefully lead to positive change. Danielle says, “We need more people recognizing that our foster system is incredibly broken and it is all of our problem.“ If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with a friend and help us share Danielle’s message and goal of helping kids in foster care.

Topics Discussed:

Danielle shares the story of how she started One Simple Wish, discussing the moment or series of events that led her to start the organization. She talks about the challenges faced and the goal of making a positive impact on the lives of children in foster care.

16:43 - 34:38: Danielle explains the importance of understanding the needs of foster children and young adults. She discusses the process of learning about their needs, collaborating with other agencies, and architecting the database to facilitate support and collaboration.

41:12 - 47:52  Danielle talks about the importance of creating personal connections with foster children and young adults. She discusses the organization's efforts to connect volunteers with young people in a deeper way through mentoring opportunities or advice and guidance.

52:52 - 56:47 Danielle encourages people to read the stories of the young people they support. She highlights the power of storytelling and invites people to ask questions and engage with the organization to become part of the community effort to help foster children.

56:53 - 1:04:38 Danielle shares insights into her day-to-day life running One Simple Wish. She discusses reading emails, granting wishes, and engaging in conversations with donors and young people. She emphasizes the importance of open communication and sharing her own story.