The Living Project

What happens behind the scenes of international development, and how do decisions made by governments affect the lives of ordinary people?

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Clifford Brown, a former commercial lawyer who spent 27 years working overseas with USAID across Latin America, Central Asia, and Africa.

Clifford shares fascinating experiences from his career, offering a firsthand look at foreign aid, political upheaval, government bureaucracy, corruption, and the challenges of working in complex and sometimes dangerous environments. We discuss the realities of international development, the people caught in the middle of political decisions, and the role foreign assistance plays in communities around the world.

Drawing from his book, *Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance*, Clifford also reflects on his experiences abroad, including difficult personal moments that shaped his understanding of power, service, and the risks of speaking out.

This is an eye-opening conversation about the realities behind foreign aid, the complexities of global politics, and the human stories that often go untold.

Life is a project. We are all works in progress.

What happens when life takes you somewhere you never expected to be, and the path forward looks nothing like the life you once knew?

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Xenia Ioannidis, Greek-American author, songwriter, healing practitioner, teacher, and creative director, to explore a remarkable journey of personal transformation, faith, and rediscovering purpose through life's unexpected turns.

Xenia shares how her experiences with healing and personal change shaped her understanding of herself and the world around her. She also opens up about a difficult season during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she found herself without a job and staying in a homeless shelter in Miami. What could have been the end of one chapter became the beginning of another, as faith, unexpected opportunities, and a willingness to surrender to a new direction helped her discover a different purpose.

We talk about what it means to start over, how difficult seasons can challenge our identity, and why the answers we are looking for don't always come in the form we expect. Xenia also reflects on her spiritual journey and the inspiration behind *Crowned in Faith*, a creative project combining children's storybooks, coloring questbooks, and music to introduce children ages 4–10 to important spiritual values through stories inspired by the disciples of Jesus.

This is a conversation about faith, resilience, unexpected beginnings, and learning to see life's difficult chapters differently. Whether you're navigating a season of uncertainty, searching for direction, or trying to understand what comes next, Xenia's story offers plenty to reflect on.

**Explore Xenia's work:**

📚 **Crowned in Faith:** https://www.amazon.com/author/xenia2025

▶️ **YouTube playlists:** https://www.youtube.com/@CrownedInFaithSeries/playlists

Life is a project. We are all works in progress.

What if the experiences that shaped you don't have to define who you become?

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Leo Dulay, transformational coach, hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and author of *You Are Not Your Past*, for an honest and insightful conversation about identity, personal growth, and the patterns that can keep us feeling stuck.

Leo shares how losing a career he had spent 22 years building led him to question who he was beyond his professional identity. We explore how past experiences influence the way we think, feel, and respond to life, why changing our circumstances doesn't always mean we've changed internally, and how we can begin to let go of old patterns that no longer serve us.

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation is looking at personal change from Leo's perspective and understanding why the way we see ourselves can influence the way we move forward. We also discuss the importance of self-awareness, the stories we tell ourselves, and the possibility of creating a new direction without being defined by who we used to be.

Leo's book, *You Are Not Your Past*, explores these ideas further, offering insights and practical exercises for understanding limiting beliefs and working through recurring emotional patterns.

If you've ever felt stuck, questioned your identity, or wondered why you keep finding yourself in the same situations, this conversation may give you a new perspective to consider.

**Explore Leo's work:**

📖 Book: *You Are Not Your Past* — available on Amazon.

🌐 Website: https://leodulay.com/

Life is a project. We are all works in progress.

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Silvia Rizzo to explore leadership, decision-making, and how we respond when the pressure is on. We discuss learning from mistakes, building resilience, adapting to uncertainty, and what high-performance sport and business can teach us about everyday life. It’s an honest conversation about handling challenges, growing through difficult moments, and becoming better at how we lead and live.

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Victor Jones, host of Liquor Talk Podcast, to talk about the reality of building a podcast, staying consistent through setbacks, and remaining authentic in a world driven by attention and competition. We explore what hundreds of conversations have taught him about people, relationships, ambition, and success, along with the importance of representation and creating space for different voices. It's an honest conversation about finding your voice, growing through the journey, and building something meaningful that lasts beyond the microphone.

What happens when a food recall is announced, but the warning never reaches the people who need it? In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Jordan Robinson, founder of Anxin, to explore food safety, misinformation, and how technology can help protect families. We discuss the gap between public warnings and consumer awareness, the responsibility of building technology people can trust, and Jordan’s journey as a solo founder turning an overlooked problem into a practical solution. Because having information available isn't enough; it needs to reach the right people at the right time.

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Coach Brian Parana, a health and lifestyle coach with over 23 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching.

We explore why so many successful men struggle to prioritize their health while juggling demanding careers, family responsibilities, and the pressure to keep everything together. Brian shares practical steps for building healthier habits, staying consistent, improving energy, and making fitness sustainable without turning it into another full-time job.

We also discuss discipline, identity, and why taking care of your health is about more than looking good — it's about having the energy and confidence to show up for the people who matter most.

This conversation is a reminder that you don't have to choose between taking care of yourself and being there for others. You can build a healthier lifestyle that works with the life you're already living.

Coach Brian also has a number of good resources here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ng/search?term=driven%20for%20health%3A%20nutrition%20and%20weight%20loss%20for

🎙️ Welcome to The Living Project — honest conversations about life, growth, work, relationships, health, identity, and everything in between.

What if getting healthier isn't about doing more, but understanding what your body and your life actually need?

In this episode of The Living Project, I speak with Professor Aamir Malik, Professor of Neuroengineering at Brno University of Technology, about health, wellbeing, and why we can do so many things right and still not feel our best.

After nearly three decades of studying the brain, stress, anxiety, and depression, Aamir has developed a different way of looking at health. In his book, *Fix the Floor*, he explores five key pillars of wellbeing: habits, connection, sleep, movement, and food.

During our conversation, Aamir explains why one area of our health can hold us back, even when we're doing well in others. We talk about how to recognize what needs attention, why we sometimes focus on the wrong things, and how small, practical changes can help us feel better without becoming overwhelmed by endless health advice.

Aamir also shares more about *Fix the Floor* and how readers can use its approach to better understand their own wellbeing and figure out where to start.

If you'd like to learn more about the book or get your own copy, visit (https://fixthefloor.life).

Sometimes, the answer isn't doing more. It's figuring out what needs fixing first.

What happens when success on the outside doesn't match how you feel on the inside?

In this episode of The Living Project, I sit down with Steve Barton, entrepreneur, executive coach, author, and creator of The Game of Ten®, to explore the hidden struggles that can come with success, including self-doubt, fear, and the pressure to prove ourselves.

Drawing from more than 47 years of business experience and his own journey of personal discovery, Steve shares why achievement doesn't always bring fulfillment, how our patterns of thinking influence the way we live and lead, and why replacing judgment with curiosity can change our perspective.

We also explore what it means to feel that you are enough, pursue your ambitions without tying your worth to your achievements, and ask better questions when life feels overwhelming.

Because sometimes, the greatest breakthrough isn't achieving more—it's changing the way we see ourselves.

🎙️ **The Living Project — Build. Grow. Live. Thrive.**

The First Chapter