Ostrolenk speaks with Marc Lesser, who is internationally recognized for pioneering in mindful leadership and creating exceptional business cultures. Lesser founded and was CEO of 3 companies and is the author of 4 books. Ostrolenk and Lesser discuss Lesser’s journey to mindfulness and his most recent book: Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader (https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Practices-Mindful-Leader-Monastery/dp/1608685195). Lesser discusses the transformation many businesses have undergone from prioritizing machine-like efficiency to requiring collaboration and creativity, which has opened up space for mindful leadership. Ostrolenk and Lesser discuss a few of the seven practices, including Love the Work, Do the Work, and Keep Making it Simpler. To learn more about Lesser and his work, visit his website (https://www.marclesser.net/) and check out his book (https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Practices-Mindful-Leader-Monastery/dp/1608685195).

Ostrolenk speaks with Mandy Smithberger, Director for the Center for Defense Information at POGO (https://www.pogo.org/). Smithberger details their newest report Brass Parachutes: The Problem of the Pentagon Revolving Door (https://www.pogo.org/report/2018/11/brass-parachutes/). The report highlights the ways in which the military industrial complex conflates what is in the best financial interest of defense contracts and large budgets with military effectiveness and what is in the best interest of tax payers. Smithberger provides several examples. This includes ethical loopholes such as the fact that senior officials face few limits and lobbying that restricts that are overly narrow and miss behind the scenes work. To learn more about Smithberger’s work and POGO’s new report, click on the links above.

Ostrolenk speaks with Dr. Jake Desyllas: author, investor, entrepreneur, and host of The Voluntary Life Podcast (https://thevoluntarylife.com/). Desyllas discusses his journey to change his career path and discover the principles by which he truly wants to live. In doing this there were numerous challenges but also numerous rewards. Desyllas also details how travel has played a role in his life and choices, how he became a minimalist, and how he has approached parenting. To learn more about Dr. Desyllas, visit his website and check out his books listed below.

Job Free: Four Ways to Quit the Rat Race and Achieve Financial Freedom on Your Terms (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Job+Free+Jake+Desyllas&ref=nb_sb_noss)

Becoming an Entrepreneur (https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Entrepreneur-Freedom-Fulfillment-Business-ebook/dp/B00JLTUFSS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=become+an+Jake+Desyllas&qid=1551482785&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr0)

Negotiate for Mutual Profit (http://www.jakedesyllas.com/work/#/negotiateformutualprofit/)

Ostrolenk speaks with Nancy Parrish, executive director of Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND), an organization that build’s women’s political power to advocate for security and peace with justice. One of their key pieces of work is the coalition United Against Nuclear War, https://www.wand.org/united-against-nukes-campaign, in collaboration with Beyond the Bomb, Win Without War, Peace Action, ReThink Media, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Union of Concerned Scientists, and others. This collation aims to stop nuclear war, specifically through a call for no first use and advocating that the President should not have unilateral authority to launch nuclear weapons. Parrish discusses why women can so successfully engage in peace and security topics, highlighted by their 16 resolutions for United Against Nuclear War in 14 states. To learn more about WAND, visit their website (https://www.wand.org/) and follow them on social media (Twitter @WomensAction; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WomensAction/) .

Ostrolenk speaks with Wendy Jordan, Senior Policy Analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense (https://www.taxpayer.net/). Jordan discusses ongoing efforts to ensure the Pentagon passes an audit and the reasons it is important to ensure the Pentagon is spending money efficiently and in the way directed by Congress. The structure of the Pentagon makes this a challenging endeavor, but one that can and should be completed. Jordan details the agencies within the Pentagon that have completed clean audits and the steps required to ensure the remaining branches and agencies also do. Jordan also discusses other key DoD reforms more broadly. To learn more about Wendy Jordan and her work, visit Taxpayer.net.

Ostrolenk speaks with Jake Laperruque, Senior Council for the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) (https://www.pogo.org/). Laperruque recently wrote Securing our Elections: How States Can Mitigate the Potential Damage of Hacked Voter Registration Roles (https://www.pogo.org/report/2018/11/election-day-under-attack-how-states-can-mitigate-the-potential-damage-of-hacked-voter-registration-rolls/). Ostrolenk and Laperruque discuss the risks of malicious hacking that our voter registration systems face, and how to proactively ensure future hacking does not occur. Laperruque discusses best practices at the state and federal level to minimize the possibility of malicious hacking and contingency plans for if voter registration databases are hacked. To learn more, read the above-mentioned report and visit POGO’s website.

Ostrolenk speaks with Stefanos Sifandos, facilitator of transformational growth. Sifandos details his career path to coaching, specifically his personal transformation from a life that felt void of depth and quality relationships to one that is full of personal connections and growth. Through this transformation, Sifandos reflected on his past and began to understand the ways in which men often isolate themselves internally and distract themselves externally. Sifandos taught himself to instead be reflective, conscious, and take personal responsibility. Sifandos translated these lessons into the curriculum of his many programs, noted below. To learn more about Sifandos and his work, visit his website and learn about his programs: Reclaim Your Kingdom, Leadership of Self, How to Create Harmony, Vulnerability is the New Black, Conscious Relating, Conscious Warrior, and Chaos to Clarity.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://stefanossifandos.com/?fbclid%3DIwAR01EvG3IEIY2IU7dJj8zdCZVugjqmeWAJx-haM4aynIsP1q_shbIzM1O0U&source=gmail&ust=1547897424721000&usg=AFQjCNHQYIcHm0RNeVkPbrrBioN8d-2jjg

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reclaimyourkingdom.com/?fbclid%3DIwAR1IZ-cTbv7kKFg5ASp758NWuEWSpkxuSGt60KGMU9RzoX2gIeh9M1B2_-E&source=gmail&ust=1547897424721000&usg=AFQjCNEtFJmybkO2Db8FSEePNnF_YqVFIQ

https://consciousrelating.co/?fbclid=IwAR1OQ-uegMbAROlq3OwZozeRkKW2Y4M-qjogQifG4PqjcCTAklOT9RQ6QRk

Ostrolenk speaks with Steve Foerster, writer, technologist, educator, and President of New World University, based in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Foerster discusses how he became involved with online higher education and how his experience working with international students drove the development of New World University. Foerster further details the educational opportunities through New World University, specifically their one year certificate, two year diploma, and three-year Bachelor of Science in International Business Leadership. The University also plans to add similar programs in Economics and Public Policy, Information Systems, and Education. Foerster also notes the educational process through New World University and the low costs. To learn more about New World University, visit their website at https://newworld.ac/.

Ostrolenk speaks with Dr. Stuart Sovatsky, long-time psychotherapist, author, and scholar of Kundalini Yoga. Sovatsky describes successful spiritual based therapeutic approaches including the overarching approach to aim for what is ideal in human relationships rather than what seems likely. With this ideal in mind, he guides clients through changing their mental and emotional states to reconnect to their 'beloved' , before trying to solve a problem. This is coupled with love, gratitude, and compassion, and has proven successful in many cases.

To learn more about Dr. Stuart Sovatsky, find him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stuart.sovatsky and https://princeton.academia.edu/Stuart.... Also check out his books Advanced Spiritual Intimacy (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/162...), Words from the Soul (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/079...), Your Perfect Lips (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...), and Eros Consciousness and Kundalini (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089...).

Ostrolenk speaks with John St. Claire, a musician, teacher, and Master Healer, trained in many modalities. St. Claire speaks of his private healing practice, using crystals and sound, which helps clients change their lives physically, mentally, and spiritually. Ostrolenk and St. Claire discuss Ostrolenk’s experience with non-ordinary states of being during his session with St. Claire and the successes St. Claire has seen his clients achieve through this practice. To learn more about John St. Claire and his work, visit his website.