The Daily Helping

Marvina Case is the dynamic founder and CEO of Set-Aside Queen, a company that has spent over two decades overseeing more than $200 billion in US federal contracts. Marvina’s clientele includes prominent entities like Dell, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, the Department of Defense, NASA, and even the Office of the President.

Born under extraordinary circumstances – quite literally in a hospital toilet – Marvina saw her unconventional birth as a stepping stone to better things, encouraging her to embrace life’s silver linings and persistently strive upwards. Her life took a sudden turn when, at the tender age of 16, she was shot in her hometown of Gary, Indiana. This incident served as a wake-up call, pushing her to pursue education and a safer life.

Despite being an academic achiever, Marvina had to lean on her GED and basketball skills to earn a spot at Purdue University due to her low senior year attendance. At a towering 6'7", she was set to be the university's starting center until fate intervened. En route back from visiting her sister, Marvina was caught in a severe accident, sandwiched between two semi-trucks. She sustained third-degree burns and a disfigured nose, but remarkably, the accident also led to the discovery of a potentially fatal brain tumor. Though she was told she'd never walk again, Marvina defied the odds, recovering in six months thanks to intense physical therapy, although she had to give up her basketball career.

Marvina's desire to harness technology for the greater good laid the groundwork for Set-Aside Queen. Unhappy with the insufficient humanitarian efforts of larger corporations, she created her enterprise to ensure fair business practices and opportunities for everyone, particularly those often overlooked.

Set-Aside Queen operates on a 'set-aside' system, a method to channel federal funds to aid marginalized groups. Set-Aside Queen’s business model allows its clients to retain 99% of their earnings, with the remaining 1% donated to an approved charity in their name - a charity that spends at least 85% of its funds on direct assistance, rather than administrative costs.

Marvina’s story is one of overcoming personal and professional hardships, including being multi-ethnic, female, over six feet tall, legally blind, and having a challenging birthplace. She firmly believes in everyone's potential to attain success and uses her platform to help others realize their capacity.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“God made you perfect. That’s it. God made you perfect. God does not make mistakes. People do, so we must forgive.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Marvina's Company: SetAsideQueen
• Marvina's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marvina
• Parent Company: swētspot
• Program mentioned: Apex Accelerators

Produced by Nova Media

In this episode of The Daily Helping, we welcome a titan of entrepreneurship, Jeremy Delk. From a humble background in Bardstown, Kentucky to the helm of a multi-industry empire, Jeremy's journey is marked by resilience, ingenuity, and a relentless drive to innovate.

As the brains behind Stellic Enterprises, Jeremy Delk's diverse portfolio reaches across sectors such as biotech, healthcare, consumer brands, technology, building materials, and real estate development. His disruptive approach to business and creation of high-paying jobs has solidified his place among the most successful entrepreneurs.

Jeremy takes us through his intriguing origin story, which begins with a heart-rending loss and an inheritance of $30,000. Self-teaching about stock trading, he impressively turned this modest sum into $2 million, only to see it evaporate with the dot-com bubble burst. Undeterred by this setback, he leveraged his financial prowess to earn a position as a stock broker at Fidelity Investments—a testament to his unwavering resilience.

In his enlightening book, "Without a Plan," Jeremy intertwines memoir with entrepreneurial insight, crafting a narrative that inspires budding business owners to leap into their dreams, undeterred by the specter of failure. In fact, Jeremy views failure as nothing more than a stepping stone toward greater success. His personal stories of financial loss and triumphant rebound serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Throughout the episode, Jeremy dismantles the rose-colored perception of entrepreneurship, exposing the grit and tenacity required to overcome its inherent challenges. Drawing from his time at Fidelity Investments, Jeremy notes the pitfalls of corporatism, highlighting how creative disruption often collides with the corporate pursuit of maintaining the status quo.

As Jeremy shares his insights on the journey of entrepreneurship, one thing becomes clear: fear and complacency are the real enemies of success. As long as you’re continually learning and focused on the problems that you’re passionate about solving, you’re on the right path.

Jeremy’s advice is clear: Don't fear failure, and never stop moving forward.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Just get started. Just get started in whatever it is. If you got a full-time job and you want to be an entrepreneur, just get started. It doesn't mean you need to resign and mortgage your house and go all in on something. But build a website, do a focus group on Facebook, just do something for yourself and set this little pass-fail ratio. Like, "Hey, I'm going to go and spend $1,000 on this. I'm going to spend $2,000 on my idea." And then get there, and then predetermine what failure and success looks like. If, "Hey, I get 100 people that like it, then maybe I go and spend $2,000 here." But just get started. Life's too short, man, and tomorrow isn't promised.

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at jeremydelk.com
• Read: "Without a Plan"
• Follow Jeremy on Instagram: @jeremysdelk
• Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremy-delk-82a57a37

Produced by Nova Media

In today's episode, we are privileged to host not one but two expert guests: Liz Dunning and Kris Brown, two strong advocates for gun safety and control in America.

Liz Dunning is the current Vice President of Development at Team Brady. She has devoted her 20-year career to public education policy, philanthropic sectors, and nonprofit management strategy. In addition to her impressive professional career, Liz is also a survivor of gun violence, an experience that has deeply influenced her work at Brady. In 2003, her mother was tragically murdered, an event which eventually spurred her commitment to Brady. Liz’s resilience is inspiring - her courage has even propelled her to run a marathon in honor of her mother, raising nearly $30,000 for the cause.

Joining Liz, we have Kris Brown, the accomplished President of Brady. Known for her lifelong background in policy law and grassroots activism, Kris has been a guiding light in the fight for Common Ground. A noted speaker and media commentator, Kris' influential work on gun violence was featured in Time Magazine's November 2018 cover article, "Guns in America." She's dedicated to advancing the conversation on gun violence beyond the usual polarizing politics, advocating for understanding and effective action.

The organization they represent, Brady, was formerly known as the Brady Foundation. Its namesake, Jim and Sarah Brady, championed for the Brady Law after Jim, Ronald Reagan’s press secretary, was injured during an assassination attempt on the President. This law mandated background checks for all federally licensed firearm sales, though Kris and Liz will delve into the current gaps in the system.

In our conversation, we also discuss Brady's "End Family Fire" campaign and the impactful Ask campaign. Through these initiatives, Brady has been influencing gun owners and the general public to safely store firearms, drastically reducing the risk of accidental injuries or death, especially among children. The results of these campaigns are promising, indicating a significant increase in safety awareness and behavioral change regarding firearm storage.

Today, we aren't talking about abolishing the Second Amendment, but rather advocating for a historically accurate understanding of it, coupled with public safety measures to prevent unnecessary deaths from gun violence. We invite you to listen, learn, and join the conversation. Together, we can make a difference.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Everyone has a sphere of influence in their life. Some people really love going and sitting in a hearing room and wearing the shirt and holding elected officials to account. We love when people love that. But it's okay if you don't. You can also get involved in the gun violence prevention movement with Brady by making calls, by sending emails. If you have five minutes in your day, you can make a difference.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at bradyunited.org
• Connect with Kris on LinkedIn
• runlizzierun.com

Produced by Nova Media

Today’s expert guest is renowned psychic medium and author, Bill Philipps. Known for his inspiring works, including "Expect the Unexpected: Bringing Peace, Healing, and Hope from the Other Side" and his latest empowering journey, "Soul Searching, Tune in to Spirit and Awaken Your Inner Wisdom."

Philipps' lifelong journey revolves around helping those grieving over their lost loved ones. With his psychic abilities, he offers comforting messages from the spirit realm, bridging the gap between this world and the next. He is recognized for his individual and group readings and has made a significant impact through appearances on high-profile platforms like Dr. Phil and Access Hollywood.

Philipps takes us back to his childhood, unraveling the moment when a traumatic event unlocked his psychic capabilities more vividly. It started with ethereal encounters at the tender age of four, seeing disembodied faces and eyes—glimpses of a realm unseen.

Despite his early experiences, it took a profound experience in a metaphysical bookshop, connecting with a spirit who had tragically passed, for Philipps to fully embrace his gifts. Navigating through societal pressures and personal challenges as a teenager, he faced struggles many can relate to, especially those touched by psychic experiences early on.

"Soul Searching," Philipps' latest work, emerged during the global pandemic's fearful height, serving as a beacon to uplift spirits, broaden personal awareness, and guide readers towards a stronger spiritual connection. In it, Philipps shares practical strategies for finding inner calm amidst worldly turmoil, underlining the necessity of spiritual hygiene for emotional and mental wellness.

Philipps leaves us with a powerful takeaway: the spiritual world resides within us. He suggests that through changing the language we use with ourselves, and living with intention, we can profoundly influence our environment and rekindle our innate way of connecting.

We each can work towards understanding our own energy, redirecting thoughts for goal attainment, and recognizing the value of spiritual hygiene through daily intention resets and meditation.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Gratitude is, I believe, the biggest helping because gratitude is something that we're all capable of doing. We have to do it throughout our day when we say thank you for something. It might be going to the grocery store and thinking the clerk who helped us. But when we take that power back into our own hands, and we give it out to the universe, give it out to God, to Spirit, it automatically changes our perception and it automatically takes us out of more of this rational, fear-based way of thinking. It pulls our awareness and allows us to be more unlimited with our thinking and with our belief system. So, and it's free and anybody can do it and it's simple. So, I would say if you can just spend a couple moments a day of just focusing on your thank yous, there's a lot of potential for your life to be changed as a result of just that.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at billphilipps.com
• Follow Bill on Instagram and Facebook
• Read: Soul Searching: Tune In to Spirit and Awaken Your Inner Wisdom
• Read: Signs from the Other Side: Opening to the Spirit World
• Read: Expect the Unexpected: Bringing Peace, Healing, and Hope from the Other Side

Produced by Nova Media

Meet Angie Morgan Witkowski, a bestselling author, seasoned business coach, and multi-time entrepreneur with an impressive journey spanning from a small rural community in northern Michigan to the Marine Corps and into the heart of the entrepreneurial scene. Her experiences in the Marines and later with Pfizer in Beverly Hills inspired her to co-found Lead Star, a successful coaching and consulting business, and pen her game-changing book, "Bet On You," a manifesto for embracing calculated risks.

Angie's new venture into podcasting continues to share her insightful lessons and inspiration. Her discussions revolve around the importance of immediate action, despite current circumstances, and the benefits of testing potential paths before committing fully to them. Chris Kermitsos's "Start Ugly" concept complements this ethos, advocating for proactive steps towards goals without waiting for a "perfect moment."

Angie encourages people to face their fears and focus on the potential positives rather than the negatives. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highlighted as a powerful tool for mitigating irrational fears. Above all, Angie stresses the importance of enjoying the journey, aligning personal pursuits with passions, and taking a balanced approach to life. Her discussions underscore the idea that, when viewed from a wider perspective, taking a calculated risk may indeed be the safest choice one could make.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“I would love people to think about the dreams that they have for themselves, these grand visions, and the times that you look outside of yourself and see all the cool things that other people are doing, and just really ask yourself, why not you? Why can't you do that? If other people are doing it and they're showing you it can be done, why not you? It's not that they have privilege, it's not that they have access to more capital, maybe they do, but that's not the reason that's holding you back. Your fears, your worries, your concerns, your self-doubts, those are probably bigger barriers than any other barrier out there. So just really ask yourself: Why not you?”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at angiewitkowski.com
• Read: Bet On You
• Connect with Angie on LinkedIn
• Follow Angie on Instagram: @angiewitkowski

Produced by Nova Media

In this Athletes Voice series on The Daily Helping Podcast, listen in on an inspiring conversation with the visionary Odessa Jenkins. A Hall of Fame running back, two-time national champion, USA football team captain, and two-time gold medalist, Jenkins wears many hats, including that of the founder and CEO of the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC).

Raised in South Central LA, Jenkins was always drawn to sports, with football leading her to become the first in her family to graduate college. She's transforming the landscape of women's football, by challenging the limited visibility and access traditionally afforded to women in this sport, through her trailblazing work with the WNFC.

In addition to sharing her personal journey, Jenkins offers insightful advice on creating change and standing up for what you believe in. Her tireless advocacy work through the Got Her Back charity, supporting girls who play on boys' teams, serves as a testament to her relentless pursuit of leveling the playing field.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Do the impossible, do the possible, just do it. Start now. Don't wait until it's over to appreciate your legacy and to appreciate what you're trying to change. 'Cause sometimes trying is enough. Trying can change the whole world. So don't wait till the battle's over. Shout now, 'cause in the end, you're gonna win.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at odessajenkins.com
• wnfcfootball.com
• Connect with Odessa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/odessajenkins
• Follow Odessa on on Instagram: @ojthejuice03

Produced by Nova Media

Welcome to another exciting episode of The Daily Helping podcast. Today, we're joined by Eli "The Travel Guy" Facenda, an entrepreneur who has turned his love for travel into a thriving business. Eli is the founder of Freedom Travel Systems, a company that assists travel enthusiasts in maximizing luxury travel on points, eliminating the headaches of trying to figure it out on your own.

Eli's travel journey began with an international trip to the Dominican Republic that sparked his curiosity and interest. He then embarked on a career path that saw him start an international sports tour company and discover the power of maximizing credit card points.

In today's episode, Eli demystifies the concept of "travel hacking." He shares how he leverages credit card points, airline miles, and hotel points to enjoy around $100,000 worth of luxury travel a year, visiting over 40 countries in just five years. Eli draws on his wealth of experience to provide valuable tips for boosting credit scores and understanding the complex ecosystem of banks, airlines, and credit card companies.

Finally, Eli leaves us with some wise words on the transformative power of travel and the strategic use of the credit card and banking system to make it all possible. So, whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting to explore the world, this episode is sure to inspire your next adventure.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Travel really has the ability and the power, if done right, to be a massive tool for transformation in your life. Because what it will do, if you really go in with the right perspective, is it will remove you from your everyday activities, all of these environmental triggers where you kind of normally have the same feedback loop and routine. It's almost like you become sleeping awake if you live in the same routine for so long. It pulls you completely out of that, puts you into a new environment. And what that does is it allows you to have a totally different perspective on your life, your business, your job, your family, relationships, whatever it is, and you can come back with such a fresh energy and fresh outlook on life. That's why I'm a huge proponent of just travel as a whole. And I think that if you want to travel for those benefits, for personal enjoyment, or for the experience, there's a way that you can tap into this amazing credit card and banking system specifically here in the US to be able to do it in way better style, get way more of it and do it completely for free or at the most, maybe 5% of what the retail cost would be. I think people should be traveling more, but I don't think should be paying more for it. I think she should be getting it for free.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at freedomtravelsystems.com
• Follow Eli on on Instagram: @elitravelguy

Produced by Nova Media

Jake Kauffman, a life coach, international best-selling author, and inspiring spiritual mentor, is our esteemed guest in this episode of The Daily Helping podcast. Jake's life mission has revolved around guiding individuals to lead purpose-driven lives and aiding entrepreneurs in personal growth and leadership, with a keen focus on helping men heal and transform to reach their full potential.

In our discussion, Jake pulls back the curtain on his personal journey of triumph over physical and sexual abuse he experienced during his early years. His journey through the darkness began at a summer camp around the age of 12 or 13, where he suffered sexual abuse in the presence of his friends, who shockingly failed to intervene. This traumatic event led to a period where Jake hid behind metaphorical masks, striving to distract from his pain through overachievement. His pursuit of accomplishment led him to excel in both sports and academics and eventually co-found a healthcare startup in the early 2000s, which has grown into one of the largest healthcare technology SaaS companies in the U.S. Despite these external achievements, Jake battled an internal war marked by unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and anxiety, leading him to sabotage his success and resist love and intimacy.

The turning point came at 29 when a heartfelt conversation with his mother, who confessed she no longer recognized him, set him on a path of self-revelation. This led him to therapy and the brave decision to confront the abuse he experienced as a child, a journey that spanned several years but resulted in profound changes both externally (financial prosperity, improved relationships) and internally (enhanced self-confidence, peace, and fulfillment).

The inception of his newest book, "Let Love In," came after sharing his story on social media in 2019. The overwhelming response and connection he received led to a nervous system breakdown, which he processed through journaling. These journal entries formed the foundation of his inspirational book, designed as a guide for others who have experienced trauma, showing them how to embark on their own healing journey.

Jake explains that everyone has a comfort level for what they feel safe to receive, be it love, financial abundance, or opportunities, and exceeding this threshold can lead to self-sabotage. However, working through past pain can expand this threshold, allowing more love and positivity into our lives.

Addressing what's holding you back is the first step in progress, even if that means confronting past pain. Jake's approach to simplifying complex topics makes them relatable and understandable, a highlight appreciated by the host and listeners alike.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Ask yourself: If my greatest strength is a compensating strategy, what is my greatest strength for?”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at jacobkauffman.com
• Read: “Let Love In”
• Follow Jake on on Instagram: @iamjakekauffman

Produced by Nova Media

In this episode of The Daily Helping, we're joined by John Jennings, chief strategist of a $15 billion firm, as he shares invaluable insights on investing and how to improve your decision-making process. John emphasizes that the stock market is not a direct reflection of the economy and sheds light on the pitfalls of obsessing over metrics and data points.

Discover why inactivity is key to successful investing, as evidenced by a study showing that single women who traded less outperformed single men, married men, and married women. Learn how an average investor can achieve similar returns to sophisticated university endowments by investing in a mix of index funds and bonds, and why discipline is crucial to sticking with this simple approach.

Throughout the podcast, John shares mental models that can help investors make better decisions, such as the importance of inactivity and the idea that the stock market is not the economy. The main takeaway? There's no secret sauce to investing success. Instead, investors should focus on their own behavior and accept the inherent uncertainty in the economy and the investment world.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“There is no secret sauce. There is nobody out there that can deftly predict the future and weave in and out. It's gonna come down to your own behavior and just accepting the inherent uncertainty that exists in the economy and the investment world.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more: johnmjennings.com
• Read: The Uncertainty Solution
• Connect with John on LinkedIn

Produced by Nova Media

We are joined by business leader and author, Marc Lesser, whose latest book, "Finding Clarity: The Power of a Mindful Life," delves into the importance of curiosity and mindfulness in our daily lives.

Marc opens up about the significance of curiosity in both personal and professional settings and underscores the role of mindfulness and meditation in managing stress and anxiety. He touches upon our evolutionary instinct to scan for threats and how technology plays a part in triggering negative emotions.

To foster curiosity without feeling overwhelmed, Marc suggests incorporating a meditation practice or engaging in other mindfulness activities such as journaling or spending time in nature. These practices can create a much-needed space in our lives, allowing us to avoid getting consumed by busyness and intensity.

The conversation then turns to storytelling and the way our brains are naturally wired to create narratives. Marc offers an exercise in which individuals can journal or create a timeline of their successes and failures to gain insight into their life stories. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging both the pain and the possibilities in our lives and leaning into both for optimal growth and experience.

Moreover, Marc discusses the value of listening for understanding and how it contributes to improved communication and stronger relationships. He shares an exercise where individuals practice listening without problem-solving, which can lead to enhanced connection and understanding.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Way of being is to live a very ordinary life and effective life, and at the same time realize that everything we do is also sacred. I like the word sacred. There's actually some interesting science happening now about studying the importance of having a sacred experience. And again, sacred to me I think is one way to think of it is that to rise to rise above and beyond the ordinary stories that we get caught in and to see from a much larger perspective, the sense of acceptance, joy, beauty, right in the midst of the day-to-day world of paying the bills and taking care of our children and working, bringing us to, that they're like two sides of the same coin, ordinary and the sacred.”

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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Podcasts to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at marclesser.net
• Read: "Finding Clarity"
• Follow Marc Lesser on Instagram: @marclesser
• Connect with Marc on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marc-lesser-zba

Produced by Nova Media