The Debbie Nigro Show

A stolen password can be all it takes for hackers to disrupt a life, a business, or the world.

The safeguarding of our identity has never been more critical. Constantly evolving AI-enabled DEEPFAKES are now creating enormous security and safety challenges.

Enter iVALT, a revolutionary game-changer in cyber security.

iVALT Founder & CEO Baldev Krishan Ph.D. joined me to talk about their groundbreaking solution. He is a 2X Nominated "Entrepreneur of the Year" in Silicon Valley with 20 patents.

Fixing the Weakest Link.

Over $170B was spent last year in cybersecurity, yet some of the biggest failures came from the "weakest link in cybersecurity" – a simple phone call by a hacker.

Before iVALT, there was no way to decisively identify the person at the other end of a phone call. Caller ID is easily spoofed, SIM swaps are common, KYC can be compromised, and hackers are highly skilled in just using psychological manipulation to get what they want.

The iVALT mobile app empowers individuals and customer facing workers to demand clear identity on any call (including biometrics) in 1-click.

Most social engineering attacks could be stopped by iVALT before any real damage can be done.

Baldev and I talked about the alarming reality of identity theft, highlighting how even seemingly secure methods like multi-factor authentication fall short in the face of sophisticated hackers.

I myself just went through 'cyber hell' when a hacker stole my password from my web hosting site and started buying domains around the world with my credit card. To prove my own identity and get my own website back and functioning, took me one month of pure aggravation! It was honestly outrageous!

Baldev revealed the flaws in current authentication systems and the urgent need for a more robust solution.

What Is The Solution?

"iVALT", said Baldev, "is a game-changing technology offering five plus factors of authentication." "Our platform leverages biometric data and other variables to create a virtually impenetrable authentication process."

It seems that with a simple app installation and one-time setup, users can bid farewell to the hassle of passwords and embrace seamless, secure authentication.

With five patents granted and ten pending, iVALT is uniquely positioned to provide the strongest level of identity verification and access management at scale. something no one else in the $30 billion identity market can currently provide he said.

Thought more people should know more about this innovation. iVALT is emerging as a pioneer in shaping the future of identity protection.

Enjoy being one of the first to know about this game changer and meet Founder/CEO Baldev Krishan in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

Fire Chief Rebecca Strobl Turned Her Knowledge of Life-Saving Skills into a Business to Train Others How To React In Emergencies.

I don't know about you, but I could use a refresher course in how to do CPR, and what exactly to do first when someone's bleeding badly, even what to do if someone is in shock.

In a recent episode of the Debbie Nigro Show, I decided to shine a spotlight on Rebecca and her company New Day Education and Motivation located in Waleska, Georgia because I thought the work she was doing was critical and felt every community should have a Rebecca.

Rebecca Strobl has inspired me to go get a hands on refresher course in how to react in emergencies. Apparently I don't own the market on being a nervous reactor when something insane happens as most people without the right skills do panic.

By leveraging her expertise and passion, Rebecca Strobl is making a difference one life-saving skill at a time, inspiring others to join her in creating safer and more prepared communities.

With a background as a retired volunteer fire chief and extensive experience in the security industry, Rebecca saw a need for widespread training in emergency response.

Starting as a lieutenant in the fire department, she saw a gap in knowledge and took it upon herself to provide comprehensive training not only to firefighters but also to individuals in various industries.

One of the key takeaways from my conversation with Rebecca was the importance of hands-on training in emergency situations vs watching a video.

Rebecca is adamant that of in-person courses matter, because participants can practice CPR, use AEDs, apply tourniquets, and learn to manage shock effectively.

She highlighted the difference between simply knowing what to do and having the confidence to act decisively in critical moments especially the average person who does not have a background in using these skills on a regular basis.

Rebecca stressed the significance of being prepared for emergencies by having essential supplies on hand. She recommends items like CPR masks, tourniquets, dressings, bandages, and emergency blankets for addressing the three primary killers: lack of breathing, severe bleeding, and shock.

Rebecca's passion is to empower individuals to with the knowledge to be able to save lives. Her dedication to teaching life-saving skills extends beyond traditional training methods, as she utilizes engaging and interactive techniques to ensure participants feel confident and prepared to respond in emergencies.

She is doing remarkable work and I encourage listeners to explore opportunities for training with New Day Education and Motivation if you are in the Georgia area. I encourage other communities to follow her lead in offering training for these lifesaving skills.

Rebecca's mission to equip communities with life-saving skills is a true testament to the impact that individuals can have when they are empowered with knowledge and training.

To learn more about Rebecca Strobl and New Day Education and Motivation, visit their website at newdayeducationandmotivation.com.

You'll get a good life saving education in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

TJ Hills, the renowned author of "Sex, Drugs, Babies and Breast Cancer'. joined me in the studio for a lively and very enlightening conversation to delve into the pivotal topic of estrogen, genetic testing, and its profound impact on women's health.

She's passionate about educating women about estrogen exposures and genetic nutritional tools in cancer prevention. Her message is universal as cancer touches the lives of many.

Sharing Wisdom from Her Own Personal Experiences

TJ shared her journey from a bustling Wall Street career to confronting breast cancer, highlighting the tendency to prioritize everything over personal health. Something we both know women in general typically do.

But TJ stressed the need for women to cut the nonsense and prioritize their own health over 'other things to do first', as neglecting it can have profound consequences.

Her Insights on Estrogen and Genetic Testing

TJ has become consumed with her mission to share her knowledge about the significance of understanding estrogen metabolism genes and their impact on women's health decisions.

She explained the essence of genetic testing, which focuses on how the body processes estrogen rather than simply measuring estrogen levels.

Having this knowledge she says, has everything to do with very practical scenarios, like decisions women make about birth control pills or bioidentical hormones which are influenced by genetic predispositions.

Founder, Better Estrogen Health Foundation

TJ's Foundation offers free estrogen nutrition toolkits and nutritional consultations, aiming at empowering women to make informed decisions about their health.

With advancements in technology and artificial intelligence, access to genetic information for disease prevention is becoming more feasible.

TJ is urging women to take proactive measures and so they can make informed choices.

Through education, awareness, and accessible resources, she says, the journey towards healthier living becomes not only feasible but imperative.

Meet TJ Hills and get educated in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

T.J. Hills is a Founding Board Member of the Better Estrogen Foundation whose mission is to save lives by educating women about estrogen exposures and how genetic nutritional tools may prevent cancer. In breast cancer remission since 2009,T.J. Is the Former CEO and Board Member of the Estrogen Gene Test Co and Hormonal Cancer Foundation. She spent 35 years on Wall Street advising Institutional Investors about research and data. She is a powerful speaker who has appeared on National TV, radio and print outlets across the country and spoken at major medical and corporate conferences as well as large and small women's groups inspiring women and their physicians to take control of their health starting with a simple estrogen gene test.

I've been focusing on people who make the world a more beautiful place this week. People who through their work, their ethics, their integrity, their talent, their genius just makes it happier for the rest of us.

Charles Fazzino has been called one of the most famous pop artists in the world.

I've been a huge fan of his style of pop art since the minute I first saw it in a window decades ago in New York City. I would stand there and stare in the window amazed at every little intricate pop-up thing he thought of to make a piece come to life. Often because I was in NYC it would be NYC buildings and street scenes. But Charles does that for many cities around the world.

Charles likes to be called a pop culture historian. And I know he's got a bit of a sense of humor because of the way he does the layering of the pieces in his 3D art where he shows the best of pop culture and the best of people's lives in places and events around the world. And I do mean around the world. He's become internationally renowned.

He gets commissioned to do pieces for the Grammys and The Olympics and The Super Bowl every year. When I saw his Super Bowl piece this year I was sparked to take a shot at seeing if he was around to join me on my show. We live in the same city but have never met.

I figured he'd say yes because I know he has a warm heart. He donates a lot of his pieces of art to help good causes raise money, one of which I personally helped auction off years ago at a charity function.

For those who still have never seen an unmistakable Fazzino work of art, I asked Charles to explain it to somebody in words?

"Yes, easy. I always tell people, if you're not looking at my artwork, or you're just seeing it online, or looking at it in a book or a magazine or whatever, it's hard to see the three dimensions. So, I describe it that it's kind of like a pop-out book, even a pop-out children's book, even though they're not, you know, children's artwork."

"When I was a kid, my mother was from Finland and she always collected these European pop-out books, and she had them all around the house. My brother's sister and I were always enthralled with these cool pop-out books from Europe that were handmade, and she had hundreds of them. So, when I went to school, I kind of, you know, I wanted to make a pop-out book and that's kind of like how it all started."

Most of the time Charles is sitting at his desk and drawing artwork that touches many people young and old. The intricacy, the colors and the designs make people happy.

I asked him one of my signature questions.

How does your head work inside?

Meaning what is going on in his head all day long to be able to produce these kinds of unique pieces of work?

"Well, I think it's a lot of my if I was just an artist sitting in my studio drawing, I don't know if I'd have so many ideas as I do. And I can't even implement the idea. I get it, you know, it's just very, there's so many things I want to draw and so many things that I want to show through my artwork, but not enough time and not enough hours in the day to do it. So I think the travel, when I travel to certain places, it really gives me and opens up my eyes to a lot of the world. I always come back with new ideas. I always carry a little sketchbook. I have my phone at the ready whenever I'm traveling, taking pictures, and it helps and reminds me of what I saw and always gives me these new ideas. People always ask me, where do you come up with all these ideas? I say, well, a lot of it has to do with places that I go."

One of his latest pieces pays homage to our oceans to bring awareness. It's a departure for Charles artistically, because instead of drawing buildings he's drawing sea life, and coral, and all the things that are under the sea.

"When you look at the piece, he says, "three quarters of it is ocean, but above the ocean, you'll look, and you can see cities from around the world and all of those cities that are impactful in our environment."

What about those helmets he does for the NFL?

"So many years ago, it was in 2001, when the NFL licensing committee asked if I was interested in commemorating Super Bowl because they saw what I was doing for Major League Baseball. And I was like, sure. They said, we'd like you to be our official artist. And I was like, sign me up. Sounds good to me. And I've been doing that now for 23 years."

"They just continue to, you know, let me know where the venue is going to be and, you know, what I should draw and then, you know, how it should be depicted and so forth. And then I make their official poster every year. So many years ago, when I first started that, they sent me helmets in the mail and they said, see what you can do with these helmets and used equipment. And I received this huge, huge box. And it took me a few years to figure out how to make the three-dimensional drawings tick off and stick onto the helmets and make them look beautiful."

"So, I've been doing those for many years and we sell them and show them every year at whatever Super Bowl, wherever the city is that the Super Bowl is being hosted in. And we set up a whole collection of my helmets and so forth. And we do the same thing for Major League Baseball. I paint on baseballs and bats and batting helmets."

I love to be challenged and paint people's wishes.

Enjoy meeting Charles Fazzino in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

I can't get enough of my friend Alvin Clayton. He is bursting with talent and great energy, and I think he makes the world a more beautiful place through all he does and especially through his art through which he tries to speak to people's humanity.

Recently I felt compelled to introduce Alvin to as many people as possible who may not know about him just to be able to see the amazing art he creates. Famous people collect his stuff. People like Robert De Niro and Denzel Washington and Halle Berry just to name a few.

Alvin has a fabulous restaurant in New Rochelle, NY called Alvin & Friends which has won many awards. The food is contemporary Caribbean with a Black American South influence, that caters to a discerning customers, and the vibe is always cool with live music often.

A self -taught artist inspired by Matisse, Alvin's extraordinarily colorful art literally blasts from the walls of his restaurant.

My boyfriend Dave and I often pop in to Alvin's for a drink and we love when Alvin comes over for a hug and hello and pulls out his phone to show us photos of the latest, greatest pieces of art he has created.

Every single time I think to myself, my God this guy is ridiculously talented!

"Well, I think what I try to do with my art is it speaks to people's humanity. And I think our humanity is very much connected and is a common ground. And I think if you reach to humanity, color becomes out of the picture. You get yourself into that situation. So, what I try to do with my art is to bring the viewer into that moment or that situation and say, wow, you know what, I've experienced that with my friend. And it's not about color because we all experience it."

I don't know how Alvin Clayton does it all. He's married 30 years to a brilliant beautiful woman, has three children, runs a bustling restaurant that is usually packed with interesting people from all walks of life, then goes home and stays up all night painting.

He's a good-looking son-of-a-gun too and must not eat all that fabulous food he makes because he's been a professional model for 25 years. Alvin was the first African American to have eight full pages in GQ magazine. He's worked for every catalog you could think of, and done major campaigns for Banana Republic, and has shot for Ralph Lauren.

Maybe it's all that worrying he does that keeps him thin. LOL

"There could be 99 people in my restaurant having an amazing time and possibly one person that did not have the perfect experience and that would wake me out of my sleep. I mean, I've gotten a bit better on it, but that still bothers me. I'm genuinely people-oriented, and so my whole thing is to seeing people being in a good space and I think that's what I do with my art too.

Alvin Try's To Paint Solutions To The Issues Bothering Us

"I mean I paint what some of the issues are that are bothering us and dividing us or whatever, but while I'm painting that I'm also thinking okay we know what the bad things are, what are the solutions, right? And so that's always the final chapter of whatever I do, it's solution."

Alvin believes, "We have more in common than we do that separates us".

About His Painting of a Woman with Alzheimer's He Just Showed Me "Yes, so I was sitting next to this woman in the Dr's office, her daughter brought her in actually, she had Alzheimer's and the daughter had to go in for her appointment. She asked me if I could keep an eye on her mom while she was in. I said, of course. And so while she was there, I was looking at her. She was dressed really lovely. You could tell she had style and grace. And there was something about her aura that just seemed to be, you could tell she was a beautiful person even though a lot was missing right now. And she was going into her pocketbook and somehow this image came out that she's searching for a pocketbook of lost memories. And so I took her picture and did this painting with my colors and everything else, I researched what the symbol was for Alzheimer's and so on the pocketbook that she had, instead of having a Saint Laurent or one of the trademarks, I had this insignia for the Alzheimer's Association. Even though the disease is devastating I felt she looked angelic".

My Gift Is Not Art But Rather The Art Of Seeing Opportunities Others Don't

After seeing this work of art, Alvin created, it sparked my art of seeing opportunities between people and then bringing them together to make something actually happen instead of just thinking about it or talking about doing it 'someday'. It's what I really get a kick out of doing for people.

My media world is filled with innovative people from many worlds, and I get to know and understand people on a deeper level than most through what I do. These conversations and relationships stick inside my head like Velcro. (I'm always ripping off two separate pieces of Velcro from inside my brain and sticking them together for match lol. Funny I never explained it like that before but makes sense to me.)

I'd just done an interview with the Chairmen of an upcoming Alzheimer's Association Gala fundraiser so I introduced the idea of a collaboration where Alvin's Alzheimer's painting could somehow be used to help raise funds for the organization. It's in motion!

Enjoy this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

In case you haven't noticed 'Someday' has arrived and when it comes to trying out new ideas you know what I always say … "Risk It or Regret It"!

Get in touch if you need to brainstorm who's inside my head that could be a match for whatever you're passionate about. [email protected]

Follow @AlvinClaytonArtists on Instagram.

While you're at it you can follow me too @therealdebbienigro

I'm All About Innovation and Innovators So I Love This Story.

In his new book "Clean Economy Now: Stories from the Front Lines of an American Business Revolution" Bob Keefe the Executive Director of E2 a national nonpartisan business group of 10,000 business leaders which has been around for 25 years, describes his recent travels across the country.

He wanted to witness first-hand all the clean energy projects in motion because of the significant private sector investment and job creation that's happened incredibly fast over the past 20 months since The Inflation Reduction Act.

Bob checked in on my show live from the Annual Society of Environmental Journalists, at the University of Pennsylvania co-hosted by the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, in collaboration with the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

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He joined me live just minutes after the recent earthquake we had in the northeast rattled my radio studio in Greenwich CT.

Though the quake did hit parts of PA, and Bob and I had some fun talking about earthquakes in general since Bob is from L.A., Bob said he didn't really feel it, but what he mentioned he was feeling is an economic earthquake.

It's an economic revolution like we haven't seen says Bob. And he's making sure we are all paying attention.

"I truly believe that we are at the advent of an American economic revolution, the likes of which we have not seen in this country in generations, maybe if ever. And let me tell you why I say that.

"Right now, my organization is tracking clean energy job projects around the, or clean energy projects around the country since the passage of the landmark IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act and some other policies 20 months ago. And what we know is this, there are more than 300 major factories and other projects, clean energy projects, coming out of the ground across America right now. $118 billion worth of private sector investment. That's companies that are putting money into these projects. "

"These aren't government grants or loans. These are companies investing in America. A hundred thousand jobs have been already announced just in those past 20 months. When in this country have we ever seen 300 factories and other major projects coming out of the ground? When have we seen this kind of investment?"

"We have foreign companies that are investing in the United States and creating jobs here now versus taking American jobs and doing stuff overseas. And it's not just creating all this economic growth, it's putting America on competitive again with the rest of the world."

"We understand that we can't have a good economy without a good environment, and we can't have a good environment without a good economy. "

Bob points out that In New York alone there have been about a dozen major projects that E2 has tracked. $800 million worth of private sector investment in New York from companies, 3,000 plus jobs created.

Bob and I talked about the offshore wind farm, the nation's first commercial offshore wind farm that just opened off Montauk, New York. Twelve turbines are going to provide enough juice for about 70,000 homes said Bob. And Bob mentioned there's another company that's building a converter station to essentially take offshore wind energy and convert it and get it onto the grid into people's homes.

Bob and I discussed many specific projects, besides the offshore wind farms including solar panel factories, battery technology and the potential of hydrogen as a clean fuel. I was captivated by what's happening and I think you will be too.

There's company called Air Products is now going to clean hydrogen and they're building one of the first factories in Messina, New York. In Connecticut, there's a company called Mott Corporation that's building filtration systems for use in things like this hydrogen. And mentioned there's another company called NEL, N-E-L, that relocated here from the Netherlands who are building something called electrolyzers that are going to be used by hydrogen plants like the one being built in Messina to produce hydrogen. Right now he said, there are something like 30 or 40, battery factories being built in America and about 60 solar factories popping up all around the country.

And l this is happening in places that Bob points out, you would not expect it to happen.

"As part of the book, I started off in a place called Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Well, Kings Mountain is home to an old lithium mine that was first established in the 1950s. At one time, it supplied lithium for the Manhattan Project, right? We all know what that is. Well, we have a company now that's restarting that mine because to supply batteries to manufacturers throughout the Southeast and other places. "

Drive down the street to Dalton, Georgia. And Dalton, Georgia used to be the carpet capital of the world, maybe it still is. Well right now a company called Q-Cells is building what will be the biggest, one of the biggest solar panel factories in the Western Hemisphere. Wow. In little old Dalton, Georgia. You know go a little further down the street in Georgia to Savannah and Kia and Hyundai are building one of the biggest electric vehicle factories on the planet. This is incredible stuff happening. "

I learned that Georgia is the number one state for clean energy projects right now. And that North Carolina has more investments in clean energy projects than any state. But big things are also happening in Alabama, Louisiana, New York, and I Connecticut."

Arnold Schwarzenegger did the foreword to Bobs book.

"When I think about how far America has come in building a cleaner economy, I can't help but smile. It's hard to imagine we can fail, but make no mistake, we can If we do, it won't be a failure of innovation, of business. It will be a failure by us to come together to keep this great progress going. It will be a failure by us, collective us, to put aside our ideologies and political divisions and our complacency. It will be a failure for us too."

"If we do fail, it won't be a failure of innovation, or of business. It will be a failure by us to come together to keep this great progress going. It will be a failure by us, the collective us, to put aside our ideologies and political divisions and our complacency. "

Enjoy this fascinating interview about the current American Economic revolution in this podcast of my live conversation with Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2, a national nonpartisan business group of 10,000 business leaders, on The Debbie Nigro Show.

Stephanie Stuckey a lawyer by trade, who spent 14 years in the Georgia House of Representatives and was also appointed along the way by the mayor of Atlanta as Atlanta's 'Chief Resilience Officer', is sure showing how resilient she is. And how resilient her family business is!

Stephanie is now on the road herself promoting Stuckey's Corporation - the iconic roadside stops famous for its pecan candies and souvenirs that her grandfather founded in 1937. She bought the company in 2019 for $500,000 and has been spearheading the brands big return.

It's a big year for brand comebacks as evidenced by news that other companies like Crocs and Claire's have made significant comebacks in recent years after hitting a low point financially and culturally in the late 2010s . According to Retail Brew the top executives of both those companies pointed to strategic shifts that emphasized allowing customer feedback to guide decisions."

Stephanie Stuckey, the 3rd generation CEO of the family business, is creating a great business comeback story too. She's making Stuckey's both profitable and a household name again! And doing a great grassroots job of it.

When Stephanie bought Stuckey's, the company was operating at a deficit and had only 13 original free-standing stores in 10 states that still had the signature original teal roofs in addition to around 65 licensed Stuckey's Express store-within- a -store locations.

In 6 months, she restored Stuckey's to profitability, by shifting the focus from licensed Stuckey's store locations to the company's classic line of candies. She also expanded the brand back into manufacturing when she bought a pecan shelling and candy plant in Wrens, Georgia in 2021. Candy and nut sales have since increased to almost 50% of the company's revenue as the brand expands to more national retail locations.

Stephanie is now taking road trips to promote pecans and the "great American road trip' both a big part of Stuckey's Corporation growth.

"I'm all over the country and here's why I'm traveling. I am giving speeches, and I am attending trade shows. So, it's not checking on stores per se because we don't own or operate the original Stuckey's that were still standing. We have the rights to those stores and to our name so they can they pay us a licensing fee, but we don't own those stores. So really my trips are about I give speeches and I love talking to groups and sharing the Stuckey's story. So, I speak at a lot of conferences, mostly corporate and associations and then I attend trade shows to get more retailers to sell our product and then wherever I go, part of the deal is usually my travels covered by the host of the event. My travel includes that I get a rental car so I will carve out an extra day. I'll ask for that's where I take a lot of road trips."

"And then I'll pull over and I'll find out from our team where is there a store in the area that carries Stuckey's products. So, there could be a little local ice cream shop that sells our candy, or we could reach off the chain so we're in Hobby Lobby and at home. So I like to also stop at retailers that don't carry our product and take photos and I evaluate what their back set looks like and then I'll reach out to them and say I love your store by the way I was here here's a photo of me at your store I would love to see you carry our product that's what's missing on your shelf and I've picked out a lot of accounts that way."

"I'm road tripping, but I'm also hustling. We're always hustling if we're entrepreneurs."

Stephanie Stuckey hopes to eventually own a handful of Stuckey's interstate stores to revive the original premise behind the company as a "roadside oasis" while continuing to build up the pecan side of the business to secure its future for another 85 years.

Speaking of pecans Stephanie shared a little a secret her grandfather taught her about how to open pecans.

"You get two pecans in your hand, and you squeeze them together and it will crack them."

I'm really enjoying watching this female entrepreneur bring her family brand back to life from the days when her grandpa started this as a roadside stand.

Stephanie has a new book out called "UNSTUCK" which is available on her website as well as Amazon for the same price, but if you buy it on the Stuckey's website it's autographed.

"The entrepreneurial journey is so much more fun if you bring others along for the ride" she said.

I'm along for her ride! And she did invite me along for the ride because I too am a lover of road trips. Told her you bring the pecans, and I'll bring some meatballs. Makes sense I think for a Georgia gal traveling with a NY gal. LOL

Speaking of NY, Stephanie hasn't been here in 4 years and would love to do some 'speaking and Stuckey's business' in NY.

I love her story and her entrepreneurial spirit. Meet Stephanie Stuckey in this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

The Debbie Nigro Show on WGCH Radio. If you want to catch the show it airs Weekdays 11-12noon ET in the NY/CT area on 1490 on the dial. But you can listen from anywhere, just hit the 'Listen Live' button on WGCH.com. You can find podcasts of feature interviews on DebbieNigro.com. Sign up for the free 'Risk It or Regret It" newsletter too. It's fun, relevant and motivating.

Seven Million People Are Living with Alzheimer's Disease in the US. 80,000 in CT alone & twice as many unpaid family members and friends are providing their care. But the money being raised is making a difference.

Nobody signs up for a brain disorder that gets worse over time. Alzheimer's is a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. These changes completely affect somebody's ability to function.

The bad news is the number of people with Alzheimer's is increasing, but the good news is there are real advancements in treatment. These advancements are being made possible by the continued donations to this cause.

There's a big gala benefit coming up in April in Greenwich CT (where I do my live show from) that hopes to help families in this dementia journey.

I invited Tim & Kelly Helstein the Chairs of The Alzheimer's Association upcoming 'Celebrating Hope Gala' being held April 26th at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor in in Greenwich CT, to explain where the money raised goes to. They've been caregivers and know how hard it is.

Tim whose mom passed from Alzheimer's shared; "My mother's life ended way too soon and no sot only is it something that Kelly and I are doing to honor my mother through this but also to help educate and care and prevent the future generations from having to go through what my family, what my father, what Kelly and I have had to go through. You know, we spend our days telling stories to our kids who love it. In the morning, they always say, you know, tell us a new story about Nanny. Tell us a story that was really funny."

"It's because she can't share it herself. So really what Celebrating Hope is about is not only bringing awareness and celebrating all those who have moved on because of Alzheimer's, but also celebrating the hope that we can change this, that tomorrow is a new day, that tomorrow the sun rises and there will be what we call a white flower, the first person who has overcome and has been cured from Alzheimer's. And science has been doing so much and the doctors and the FDA, and so we're excited to see what tomorrow does hold but it's going to be a gathering for all of us to really celebrate that hope."

Kelly Helstein, Tim's wife shared; "Like Tim said you know we have three young kids and they are missing their grandmother so much and that's a good background story about why we're involved, but also I want to point out that it's just a great way to honor those who are struggling with the disease. You know, that's the first reason we stepped into this role, but also it's giving us a platform to raise awareness and funds to support research and almost just empower others who are going through the same experience just to link arm in arm and say, us too, and just share our story with them and they share it with others and just create awareness all around."

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research.

Kristen Cusato, the Director of Communication for the Alzheimer's Association Connecticut Chapter & New England Research Champion also joined the show. She discussed the risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease and emphasized the importance of lifestyle interventions to reduce the risk.

Kristin also shared there are real advancements in treatment and that the availability of these treatments can change the course of the disease.

The powerful CT chapter offers 24/7 support for the public, healthcare professionals and caregivers. This chapter has influenced public policy changes and provided support to Alzheimer's and dementia research in the hope of finding a cure.

There are many fundraising events held around the country to support Alzheimer's research and awareness. And the money is really making a difference. I encourage you to participate and support Alzheimer's research and awareness efforts.

The 11th Annual 'Celebrating Hope Gala' is being held in Greenwich, CT April 26th.

Enjoy this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show.

The Debbie Nigro Show on WGCH Radio. If you want to catch the show it airs Weekdays 11-12noon ET in the NY/CT area on 1490 on the dial. But you can listen from anywhere, just hit the 'Listen Live' button on WGCH.com. Catch the podcasts of interviews after on DebbieNigro.com

Have you heard about the AMAZING Prospector Theater in Ridgefield CT?

The Prospector Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing competitive and inclusive employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater.

Employees of the Prospector, referred to as Prospects, are encouraged to sparkle, shine, and transform their passions into professions.

The Prospect Productions team creates high quality digital content for the Prospector Theater. Prospects working on the Production team learn in-demand trade skills such as storyboarding, filming, editing, sound & lighting design, post-production, audio engineering, photography, graphic design, animation, visual effects, and much more!

Video productions are used for pre-show content, educational experiences, PSAs, operating procedures, and entertainment!

Over the last four years, Prospects have created over 1060 videos, garnering more than 17,000,000 views worldwide.

The Prospector Theater was founded by Valerie Jensen whose lifelong work started when her sister, Hope, was born in 1979 with Down syndrome.

Valerie Jensen and 'Prospect' Gabe Kavookijan joined me on the air to celebrated World Down Syndrome Day (March 21st).

Meet them both on this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show and hear all about the cool things they're doing at The Prospector Theater in Ridgefield CT and …hear all about their new 'Down To Sparkle' Flavor of Popcorn!

They have many flavors and buying popcorn

There are surely a lot of real estate people in the country, but Tiffany McQuaid figured out a way to really stand out.

Her real estate agency in Jupiter Florida has been called the most innovative agency in the country.

What makes her stand out above all others in the space?

She said all her efforts have 'caring at the core'.

Tiffany does 'little things' in her business that bring people joy. It's something she's been doing since she was a little girl.

She decided to write a book about what works so well for her, to share with others

Her book just out is called "The Nth Degree" How To Stand Out By Going All In" by Tiffany McQuaid with Bruce Littlefield.

In our live radio conversation Tiffany shared the difficult story about how she came to realize how much 'little' things matter to people. On Christmas Day when Tiffany was 10, her Dad took his life leaving her Mom alone to raise her and her sister. Her Mom was obviously struggling badly, but Tiffany would try and do little things to make her smile. She noticed those little things mattered a lot.

When Tiffany speaks of her success and how all her efforts have 'caring at the core', it's those little things she does for others and clients that she is referring to.

She says it's the key to what unlocked her real estate success and what will unlock your success.

"Well, I think without a doubt, I would say like this little creative flair that allows you the opportunity to not just be a black and white broker, just looking at things as they're presented, but instead kind of pulling back and looking at ways to fill voids and be different and unique and create what I'd like to call delightful or surprise and delight. I love to do that, which ultimately creates memorable experiences. And in doing that, it's just not status quo. I think so many people, and whether it's companies or individuals, we tend to go through life sometimes just maintaining, you know, we're just maintaining our day, we're staying in our comfort zone, we're, you know, doing what's expected of us and not really pushing ourselves sometimes to really find a way to be different and get out of that comfort zone and be uncomfortable.

What's the significance of 'INth' in the INth Degree? And what do they have to do with showing people how to recognize opportunities for themselves?

Tiffany says "The book breaks down into seven keys and all of the keys start with the word "IN'. So everything from INtrepidness, which kind of goes through all of my life bumps and failures and bruises, you know that I think everyone can relate to those stories and kind of guide you through some opportunities and there's even what's kind of cool and what I felt was so important when we were putting this together was INteractiveness."

"Throughout the book there's what we call INquiries. So you know as I'm talking about different things that I've gone through an INquiry will pop up to kind of get you thinking. So from INtrepidness to INvigoration, and INtention, INspiration, INgenuity, INcentive, INfluence, every single one of those all touch base and you will walk away with something I am confident. You will walk away with something from at the very least each key, if not multiples from each key. They're very easy to employ into your life and they all work for me."

Enjoy this podcast of my live conversation with Tiffany McQuaid on The Debbie Nigro Show.