Charles Trittin, life guide, joins me to discuss how he joins others to create their story, find meaning amidst a noisy world, and discover the divine in ordinary life.

Bio: Charles Trittin (B.A., M.Div.) seeks to better lives and the world.  

As a Life Guide he comes alongside and listens to your stories, questions and aspirations.  He draws on his personal history of transcending challenges, 20+ years of family and natural systems training, and 25 years as a progressive pastor.  

Working with Charles as a client includes:

•Creating your story •Assessing strengths and stressors •Transforming responses •Finding and developing perspectives •Navigating transitions •Separating thinking and feeling •Assisting in decisions •Strengthening relationships, teams and communities •Discovering your myths and metaphors •Promoting healing and wellness •Living authentically •Finding community •Turning your ideals into reality.

Charles is particularly adept at discovering the divine in everyday life, whether it be in lyrics to a song or something found alongside the sidewalk.  Self, soul, spirit and relationships provide the cornerstones to his work, as they do life itself.

He jokes that words are his friends.  His walls are filled with books and his desk covered in pads of paper and pencils.  He loves to share what is on his mind through writings and public speaking.  A gifted personal storyteller, Charles uses images, metaphors, and other rhetorical devices to share his thinking while assisting those who work with him in making discoveries.

Working and playing are the same for him.  A wonderful meal of saltimbocca (Italian, “dancing on the tongue”) connects to what else is currently dancing in his life.  A comedy special on Netflix speaks as well to the pain beneath all humor.  Cheering for the Twins and Vikings are ways to be on the side of the underdog as well as the ever hopeful. U2 singing in the rain at TCF Bank Stadium on a hot July night celebrates joyous transcendence.  The lengthy hospitalization and recovery of his wife forces him to shut out trivialities, focus only on what matters, and laugh and cry with his children amidst the absurdity.

He is profiled in the October 2020 Psychology Today article on resilience, “Designed for Success”.

Charles resides in Eagan, MN and is married to his wife of over 30 years, Denise.  They have two adult children, Karl and Maggie, and a bluetick coonhound, Elvis.

Links From the Show:
Charles' Website
Charles on LinkedIn

Join The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ on LinkedIn

Pam Ryan, CEO & Founder, joins me to discuss leadership, her work to help educators, and how it has changed during COVID-19.

Pam's Bio:
Pam Ryan is the CEO and Founder of better3 Executive Leadership Development and Certified Dare to Lead TM Facilitator with an extensive background in education, learning and leadership development, process improvement, and strategic planning spans both the private and public sectors.

Pam has spent 20-plus years in K-12 education prior to starting her own business. She has taught, coached and led. Her most recent endeavor is the development of bettertogether3 , a fully integrative program focused on developing students who are able to maintain healthy relationships, self-regulate their emotional health, and show up with compassion & empathy.

Partnering with leaders of all levels and industries, Pam focuses on improving
Emotional Intelligence(EQ), systemic cohesion, conflict resolution, and safe, engaged workplace cultures. She helps people develop the courage building skills necessary to lead in an increasingly complex world. She brings Brené Brown’s research on courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy into organizations through and interactive experience while teaching individuals and teams how to move from armored leadership to daring leadership. Her clients love her commitment and passion to making lives “better.”

In addition to achieving the highly sought after Dare to Lead™ Facilitator Certification from Dr. Brené Brown, Pam is also a certified as a Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach by the Institute for Social + Emotional Intelligence (ISEI)®. She also was trained by the Pacific Educational Group in Beyond Diversity: Courageous Conversations. She has a MA in Curriculum and Development from the University of Minnesota as well as an M.ED in Educational Leadership from Hamline University.

Links From the Episode:
Better Cubed Website
Pam's LinkedIn Profile
Resources on Pam's Website
Brené Brown's Podcast: Unlocking Us

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ Website

Mike Grinberg and Gaby Israel Grinberg join me to share their journey to starting Proofpoint Marketing and give us a glimpse into what it looks like to be in business with your spouse.

Mike Grinberg Bio: Mike cut his teeth professionally in paid media, SEO and analytics and has agency, in-house and start-up experience, working on e-commerce, B2B and CPG brands. Mike, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, double-majored in business and graphic design and always thought he’d be a designer. After various internships, it was clear he was better suited for a career in digital marketing over design.

From a very early point in his career, Mike always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and strike out on his own. Though he never thought it would be with his wife, and he never imagined it would be as head of an agency. In fact, those were two things he said he did NOT want to do. But life has a funny way of pushing you toward the right path, one way or another.

As the fearless leader of Proofpoint Marketing, Mike is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business, as well as new business development and overseeing the Performance Media Team.

When not working, Mike enjoys working out, listening to podcasts, running with his German Shepherd Samson, and being a Dad to Lana Rose. He is also a self-professed adrenaline junky and counts skydiving and scuba diving as some of his favorite experiences in life, so far. Hiking and anything outdoors is a close second.

Gaby Israel Grinberg Bio: Gaby started her career in her beloved Boston, after graduating from Boston University with a degree in communication. She honed her marketing and creative skills at a multi-cultural advertising agency in the client services side of the business. She delved into digital very early in her career and never looked back (though she does have a sentimental place in her heart for anything printed). Her love of writing led her down a path of content development and ultimately to social media marketing. After moving to Minneapolis in 2010, she continued honing her digital chops and worked in various agencies and in-house teams, including Sleep Number and Target.

As Vice President and Co-Founder, Gaby heads up the Client Services and Performance Content teams, and also supports New Business Development and marketing for the agency. She is the unofficial CMO and CCO (Chief Culture Officer) of Proofpoint. She is also officially and affectionately known as the “Breaker of Bottlenecks.”

While not at work, Gaby enjoys working out, creating photo books, consuming anything related to design and home decor, gardening, spending time with friends and family, and adores being a mom to Lana Rose. In her spare time, she also volunteers with the March of Dimes and is active in the prematurity community in the Twin Cities. One day, she plans to pen a children’s book inspired by the family’s journey with prematurity.

Links From The Episode:

Proofpoint Marketing Website
Gaby Israel Grinberg on LinkedIn
Mike Grinberg on LinkedIn
Mike and Gaby's New Podcast, "Mixing Business with Pleasure" Launches on August 18th! 

Kate Jackson, Founder of Ensō Wellbeing, joins the podcast to discuss taking ownership of how we feel by improving our relationship with ourselves and others.

Kate's Bio:
Kate Jackson is the owner of Ensō Wellbeing Coaching in St. Louis Park. Kate is a Certified Enneagram practitioner, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and holds a Masters in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching from the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing. 

After facing a series of significant life events in a short period of time, including stage 4 cancer and divorce, she became deeply passionate about helping others find resources and tools to feel inspired and confident to empower their wellbeing. Her work focuses on helping clients develop deeper self-awareness in order to allow each client to identify tools and resources unique to their personal motivations and needs. Her skilled listening and thought-provoking questions guide clients to break down long-standing barriers and flourish in a newfound sense of freedom and competency. 

While Kate laughingly shares that it took her multiple two-by-fours to force her to wake up, examine her life, and make changes to break from the auto-pilot life that was getting in her way, she hopes to inspire others to trust and embrace the power of self-awareness and self-development, leading themselves to a greater quality of life and wellbeing.

Kate offers free 20-minute consultations to those looking to gain a better understanding of how wellbeing coaching works and whether it would benefit a potential client's needs.

Links From the Episode:

Ensō Wellbeing Website

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ Website

Tamara Torres joins me to discuss aligning our priorities with our values.

Tamara's Bio: Tamara’s passion is helping busy professionals align their values with their schedules to have the time and energy for what matters most. To this end, she founded Optima Results Coaching and launched the Productivity with Heart series. Her background in psychology and integrative medicine, along with thousands of coaching interactions, has honed her ability to help her clients achieve results.  Her personal values include: Family, Health, Service, Autonomy, and Growth.

When not coaching, Tamara loves spending time outdoors, playing cards with her family, and stand-up comedy. After multiple injuries from running and martial arts, Tamara has learned to adjust her expectations and embrace being the youngest in her water aerobics class.

Links From The Episode:

Optima Results Coaching Website
Tamara's LinkedIn Profile
Optima Results Coaching on Facebook

Suzi Hunn, founder of Teach Your Thing, joins me on the show to discuss how businesses can empower people by teaching what they know.

Suzi's Bio:
Suzi Hunn founded Teach Your Thing to help small businesses empower people by teaching what they know. If you’re a content creator who’s ready to build new containers for your message, you may need her in your life. And if you’re a purpose-driven leader who’s making an impact with your ideas, she may need you in hers. 

Suzi lives by the rallying cry, “You have medicine that you must own.” Her specialty is helping clients create the right content for meeting their beloved audiences where they are: online courses, how-to videos, workbooks, white papers, and more.

She loved her 15 years as a curriculum writer and teacher trainer at the Minnesota Historical Society. After discovering the Good Life Project podcast, she fell in love with entrepreneurship. During her career she has developed engaging learning experiences for founders, authors, corporate franchisees, internal teams, social-studies students, and K-12 teachers.

She believes today’s economy provides an unprecedented opportunity to find fulfillment while making a difference, and her mission is helping leaders shape their strategy for doing it.

Links From The Episode:
Teach Your Thing Website

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective Website

Resources For Changemakers From Suzi:

Podcasts

Authors Who Lead, Azul Terronez

Founders and Startups, Lisa Vogt

Good Life Project, Jonathan Fields

Life Skills that Matter, Stephen Warley 

●     (Episode 236, Turn What You Know into a Business with Suzi Hunn)

Tracking Wonder, Jeffrey Davis

Books

Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together, Pamela Slim

Creating a Life Worth Living: A Practical Course in Career Design for Artists, Innovators, and Others Aspiring to a Creative Life, Carol Lloyd

The Gig Economy: The Complete Guide to Getting Better Work, Taking More Time Off, and Financing the Life You Want! Diane Mulcahy

Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead, Tara Mohr

The Purpose Economy: How Your Desire for Impact, Personal Growth, and Community is Changing the World, Aaron Hurst

Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered, Austin Kleon

Michael Helmke, The Digital Concierge, joins me to discuss marketing and acquiring new clients in a COVID-19 business landscape.

Michael's Bio: After decades writing software and managing development teams, it was time for a change and Michael entered the wild world of marketing.  

Turns out, marketing is great fun.  Especially marketing copywriting where you have permission to break language rules, tell stories, and turn words into money like magic.

This biggest challenge facing business owners, Michael observes, is appearing as genuine online as they do when they are successfully getting clients "the old fashioned way".

Solving this challenge, Michael brings to bear years of experience with business strategy, digital expertise, and a strong drive to keep things as simple as possible.

Michael's current focus is helping business owners with existing success getting clients through "normal" means and helping them successfully reach more clients online.   He also writes a thrice weekly email newsletter on marketing and business growth topics at TheDigitalConcierge.net

Links from the Episode:

The Digital Concierge Website
Michael's LinkedIn

Tim McDonald joins us to discuss using fear to our advantage, creating community, and embracing opportunities during uncertain times.

Tim's Bio: Tim McDonald is a speaker and author who guides individuals and organizations on their journey to becoming conscious leaders. He helps them understand and internalize their role as community builders to deliver their product and/or service through trusted relationships that ignite movements with a customer focus. His experience working with organizations like No Kid Hungry, Cinnabon, Carvel Ice Cream among others, included leading the overall marketing vision, strategy and execution of social media campaigns, including blogger programs and influencer relationships.

Working directly on the No Kid Hungry campaign, GivingTuesday fundraising increased from $56,000 to over $249,000 in just 3 years, which translated into 2.49MM meals for kids in the US. Prior to that, Tim was the Director of Community for The Huffington Post, where he set strategy and oversaw a team of moderators, support and standards for the leading online news site with over 300 million comments and 70,000 bloggers. He also built and managed a community for Huffington Post's live streaming network, HuffPost Live, resulting in over 9,600 guests from more than 85 countries have joining live on-air and over 1.3 million comments on the platform.

Tim is passionate in his pursuit of purposefully connecting people. He instigates engagement and conversation, turning students into teachers and teachers into students. A skillful conversationalist, Tim encourages new ideas and navigating solid relationships through giving and receiving.

Links From the Episode:

Tim's Twitter
Tim's LinkedIn Profile
Tim's Book, The Fear Advantage
Tim's Website

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ Website

Charlie Engle and Sean Nielsen join me to discuss their company, ShareBoost Marketing, and how they are revolutionizing fundraising in youth sports while fostering community interaction.

ShareBoost Marketing is the mobile app developer and subsidiary of the Minneapolis/NYC-based Direct-to-Consumer & eCommerce startup partner, The People Centric. The People Centric is a direct to consumer & ecommerce incubator & accelerator with a family of brands designed to promote active & healthy lifestyles. Their brands produce innovative physical products paired with forward thinking digital experiences

Charlie's Bio: Charlie Engle is a global ultra-­‐endurance athlete and the founder of the 5.8 Global Adventure Series, one of the most ambitious expeditions in modern history, trekking from the lowest to the highest points on all seven continents. He is also one of the most accomplished ultramarathon runners in the world, having placed in hundreds of races in dozens of countries.

His incredible athletic ability was profiled in the film, Running the Sahara, narrated by Matt Damon. The documentary highlighted his historic, record-­‐setting journey with his two teammates across the world’s largest desert, running more than two marathons a day for 111 consecutive days, for a total of 4,500 miles. Charlie’s transcontinental run through deep sand and politically unstable countries remains one of the premier accomplishments in the ultra-­‐endurance and adventure sports worlds. After crossing the Sahara and seeing the global water crisis first-­‐hand, Charlie raised more than $6 million for clean water projects in
Africa and helped establish an organization called H20Africa, now known as Water.org, one of the largest water nonprofit in the world.

Charlie’s memoir, Running Man, became a bestseller shortly after it was published in 2016. While the book details his inspiring life story, it is about more than just running. It is about facing demons, overcoming impossible odds, keeping your sense of humor and discovering the redemptive power of putting one foot in front of the other, even when you feel like you can’t keep going.

His motivation to run and tackle extreme adventures stems from his battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Charlie has been in recovery since July 23, 1992, and he credits a large part of his recovery to the purposeful devotion and emotional release he experiences while running. He has said that “Drugs and alcohol were my way out. Running was my way through.”

Charlie is a dynamic speaker who has enthralled audiences around the world, from keynotes at the Boston Marathon and Google to the National Geographic Society, the United Nations and the deck of a nuclear-­‐class U.S. Naval aircraft carrier.

He’s been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic Weekend, Outside, Runner’s World, NPR’s All Things Considered, Men’s Journal, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He lives with his wife, Astacianna Hatcher, in Durham, North Carolina.

Sean's Bio: Sean is tech entrepreneur specializing in mobile app development.

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ Website

KK Myers and Maree Hampton, founders of LiveMore ScreenLess, join me to discuss how to use technology so that it doesn't detract from our well-being.

Bio: Maree Hampton and Katherine Myers are the co-founders of LiveMore ScreenLess. Their mission is to foster Digital Wellbeing for and with families, schools, and communities. They work at the intersection of education and public health and recognize the importance of a whole community approach to promote balanced use of screens while supporting the health and wellbeing of young people. They are proud to be an organization that amplifies youth voice as foundational to their mission. LiveMore is Research-Based, Data-Driven, and Youth-Inspired.

Links from the episode:

The Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ Website
LiveMore ScreenLess Website
LiveMore ScreenLess on Facebook
Minnesota Senate Resolution