The Widening Your Aperture Podcast

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Hey guys welcome back to another episode of Wide Open Aperture. This episode is dedicated to answering all of the AMA questions that have come in. First, Brian and I want to thank everyone that took the time to send in a question, we loved answering them, so keep them coming! Your questions are so great and they ran the gamut from serious and deep to fun and lighthearted. In this episode we address so many topics - what do Brian and I admire and dislike most about each other, how to help and support people we care about with alcoholism and addiction, why is Kristen still single, Brian’s dogs (current and future!), book recommendations, the loneliness epidemic, our favorite podcasts and keeping Kristen accountable to listing the resources in the show notes, rethinking relationships with family in the wake of our step-dads passing, dog cuisine recipes, how to know when it is time to end a relationship, and our regrets in light of losing our step-dad. We love the engagement we are getting from our listeners and as we keep developing this segment of the podcast we want to involve you even more. In a few weeks we will be recording an episode to discuss an episode we listened to on the Know Thyself podcast. We would love for you to listen as well and send us your thoughts and questions before we record! The episode will be recorded on April 16th so get your emails to us before then at [email protected]. There is a link for the podcast episode and our email in the show notes for quick and easy access. Our next episode will air April 17th where we bring back the notecard format - thank you Amy for the feedback of keeping this in the mix! In the meantime, keep connecting and widening your apertures!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Books:

‘Milk and Honey’ by Rupi Kaur https://a.co/d/1mHtAEl

‘The Princess Saves Herself in This One’ by Amanda Lovelace https://a.co/d/1EaaoV3

‘espresso Shots & forget-me-nots: selected poems’ by Parker Lee https://a.co/d/coHaihi

‘Be Here Now’ by Ram Dass https://a.co/d/6VFvuQp

‘Lighter’ by Yung Pueblo https://a.co/d/hShrGZQ

‘Inward’ by Yung Pueblo https://a.co/d/hvPxQ7M

‘Clarity + Connection’ by Yung Pueblo https://a.co/d/2sUtQI6

Audiobook:

‘Experiments in Truth’ talks by Ram Dass https://www.amazon.com/Experiments-in-Truth-Ram-Dass-audiobook/dp/B000054995/ref=monarch_sidesheet

Link to Resources page on Widening Your Aperture https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources

Our favorite podcasts:

Brian:

Know Thyself with Andre Duqum https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id1633725927

Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson https://chriswillx.com/podcast/

The Rich Roll Podcast https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes/

Lex Friedman https://lexfridman.com/podcast/

Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncomfortable-conversations-with-josh-szeps/id1002920114

The Far Out Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/far-out/id1599170797

Kristen:

The Tim Ferriss Show https://tim.blog/podcast/

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck with Mark Manson https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-f-ck-podcast/id1247526593

The Huberman Lab Podcast https://www.hubermanlab.com/podcast

Making Sense with Sam Harris https://www.samharris.org/podcasts

Armchair Experts with Dax Shepard https://armchairexpertpod.com/

The Mark Groves Podcast https://markgroves.com/podcast/

Podcast episode we will be discussing on our April 16th recording for you to listen to and send in your thoughts/questions: Episode # 75 on the Know Thyself Podcast - ‘Gabi Kovalenko: Old Soul REVEALS Our Holographic Universe, Power of Consciousness & Quantum Healing.’ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e75-gabi-kovalenko-old-soul-reveals-our-holographic/id1633725927?i=1000637566009

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Today I am sharing with you a collaborative conversation with my friends Rachel Kuhlen, Susan Sotnick and Elaine Rodriguez as we share our experiences and learnings from studying and practicing Kabbalah. In season 1 I was fortunate to have Kabbalistic Astrologer Danielle Yardeni as guest. Before we recorded her episode Danielle did my star chart reading and introduced me to kabbalistic philosophy. The experience was profound and it piqued my interest in learning more about Kabbalah. Fast forward nearly 2 years and I find out that several of my friends have also been studying Kabbalah so I got all of us together to talk about how our lives have been impacted since implementing the practices and concepts into our daily lives. 

In this conversation we share what kabbalah is and the core tenets, some of the basic concepts, why Kabbalah appealed to us, and we all share specific examples of the ways that it has positively transformed us and our lives. This episode is under the spiritual pillar of holistic wellbeing as it mainly relates to the component of having a connection to something greater than ourselves but, as you will hear, kabbalah also teaches us a lot about our individual purpose and the meaning of our life which is the second component of the spiritual pillar. We also discuss what ‘spirituality’ means for each of us and while there are differences in our definitions, the common thread is that it is about connection….to self, to each other, and to something greater than us, which deepens our belief that everything is connected in this universe. 

One of the most wonderful things about Kabbalah is that it is ultimately a very practical approach to being a better version of yourself and for living a fulfilling and meaningful life. If you are interested in learning more about Kabbalah I have provided some links in the show notes.

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Liz is a Director of Behavioral Science at Coachhub, where she marries her expertise in organizational psychology, employee experience, and organizational development to close the gap between coaching research and practice. Liz has 15 years of experience working with world-class organizations across industries to design and implement scalable talent solutions ranging from employee experience listening strategies, development programs, to performance practices, career architecture, culture assessment and change initiatives to drive transformation in organizations. As leader in HRTech for the past few years, she built global advisory teams to deliver on customer employee experience programs and provide expertise in the design of new employee experience product features and solutions.  Liz earned her Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and is an ICF Certified Professional Coach. Liz is an active  member of the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, International Coaching Federation, and Portland Women in Tech. 

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
• Email the Show: [email protected]
• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
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Hey guys welcome back to a special episode of Wide Open Aperture. We had originally planned to talk about the lonliness epidemic in episode 1, but if you have listened to the previous episodes of WOA you know that we tend to be a wee bit long winded. So Brian and I decided to do a special episode just dedicated to this topic. As per usual, we go off on some tangents but the main focus is our thoughts on what the surgeon general has called a lonliness epidemic in America. We look at lonliness from a very personal lens - reflecting on our dad’s life and our recognition of his experience of feeling lonely, especially in the last several years of his life. Many times we do not get the opportunity to have the time and/or a person that we can go through this process with so I am grateful that Brian and I could do this and that we chose to do this episode.  We both saw very different aspects of our dad and while this episode may seem like we are focused on his imperfections that appeared to foster his lonliness it comes from a place of respect and love and appreciation for the lessons we have learned from him in life and in death. At Widening Your Aperture, community and connection are 2 foundational core values so I think it is so important for us to be talking about this topic more than ever. If you are experiencing loneliness I hope that this episode will offer you some support, ideas on ways you can find more connection and community in your life and, as always, we are here for you via our email [email protected]. There is a link for the email in the show notes for quick and easy access. Also, we will be doing a special episode in a few weeks dedicated to answering all of the AMA questions you have sent in. For now, lets dive in!

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
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• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
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My Story

Hi, I’m Scott and I’m the founder of Thrive Wealth Strategies, a fee only financial planning practice dedicated to helping you reach your financial goals so you and your family can enjoy a happy, comfortable life.

Here’s a little bit of my story, why I started this site, who it’s for, how you can get involved, and why I am a financial advisor Boston trusts.

Back in 2014, when me and my wife, Jen, found out we were having our first boy, my wheels really started spinning. Of course, we were overjoyed! But also, as a financial planner in Boston, ALL of the “what if” scenarios started running through my head.

• Do we have enough insurance? Life insurance…car insurance…health insurance…
• How much longer will we be able to live in this two-bedroom condo in the city?
• Where will we move to next?
• Childcare! How will we afford childcare and a bigger, new home?
• When do we start saving for college?
• What about the rest? Diapers, wipes, toys, food…how will this all affect our budget?

That is a brief list of about 100 questions that ran through my head.

Was it scary? Yeah, it was. But what I realized is that it was possible to overcome that fear. Using my own experience as a financial planner in the Boston area, I was able to feel confident facing my questions. I came up with a plan for me and Jen, and I’m proud to say we’ve stuck to it.

Of course, some things have changed along the way. For instance, we’ve added two more boys, and a baby girl in 2022! So we’ve had to adjust the plan from time to time. But the whole way through, I’ve been able to conquer my fears by knowing that there is always a thorough plan that has me and my family covered.

The reason I formed Thrive is so that you can feel the exact same way about your family’s future. Life is full of enough stress. The job. Family. Staying healthy. The list goes on.

Money shouldn’t be something else you’re worried about.

So let Thrive help you and your family thrive. We will help you work towards your financial goals while you handle everything else.

Now that you’ve heard my story, here’s a little bit more about me. I’ve been a registered financial planner and advisor since 1999 and a licensed Medicare specialist through AARP and Thrive Medicare Strategies since 2005.

Those 4 children I told you about? They are now 8 (Finn), 6 (Rhys), 1 (Boden) and 4 months (Isla). As I sought ways to get involved in their lives from an early age, I served as the inaugural Dad’s Liaison on the board of the Newburyport Mother’s Club. The organization has now expanded into the Greater Newburyport Family Club, and I’ve been their Vice President for two years now.

I’m a firm believer in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and love to spend time with my wife and kids. I love to go on adventures with my family, whether it’s skiing, biking to the beach, or a strenuous hike near the pathways around our home. I can often be found chasing my boys on mud races and other activities they’re involved in.

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
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• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
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Hey guys welcome back to another episode of Wide Open Aperture. This episode is dedicated to answering all of the AMA questions that have come in. First, Brian and I want to thank everyone that took the time to send in a question, we loved answering them, so keep them coming! Your questions are so great and they ran the gamut from serious and deep to fun and lighthearted. In this episode we address so many topics - what do Brian and I admire and dislike most about each other, how to help and support people we care about with alcoholism and addiction, why is Kristen still single, Brian’s dogs (current and future!), book recommendations, the loneliness epidemic, our favorite podcasts and keeping Kristen accountable to listing the resources in the show notes, rethinking relationships with family in the wake of our step-dads passing, dog cuisine recipes, how to know when it is time to end a relationship, and our regrets in light of losing our step-dad. We love the engagement we are getting from our listeners and as we keep developing this segment of the podcast we want to involve you even more. In a few weeks we will be doing an episode to discuss a podcast episode we listened to on the Know Thyself podcast. We would love for you to listen as well and send us your thoughts and questions before we record! The episode will be recorded on April 16th so get your emails to us before then at [email protected]. There is a link for the podcast episode and our email in the show notes for quick and easy access. Our next episode will air April 10th where we bring back the notecard format - thank you Amy for the feedback of keeping this in the mix! In the meantime, keep connecting and widening your apertures!

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
• Email the Show: [email protected]
• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
• Follow on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

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Kathi Kulesza uses her experience in the hospitality industry where she spent three decades in management, training, customer service, loyalty, marketing, and executive leadership, to inspire her clients and audiences to get out of their own way and lead with assertive confidence. Kathi has a Bachelors in Hotel Administration from UNLV, and she is a certified coach. 

Kathi has shared life-changing lessons with more than 20,000 up and coming leaders at 600 plus in-person and virtual events. She understands the challenges you and your team face as you attempt to obtain a sense of normalcy and can help you navigate these uncertain times.

Kathi’s unique approach will ensure your team will gain a renewed confidence in themselves and have an achievable action plan that will both stretch them and leverage their strengths. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkulesza/

https://twitter.com/kathispeaks

https://www.facebook.com/kathispeaks

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
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Bio:

Rachel has 17+ years of experience leading, developing, and coaching global teams in Fortune 500 companies. Her expertise is in learning and development, where she has designed, developed, and launched multiple billion-dollar brands and trained teams who have negotiated multiple billion-dollar contracts. Rachel's favorite accomplishment was creating multiple leadership capabilities academies focused on the holistic development of individuals and leaders. 

In 2020, Rachel took the biggest leap of faith and started my coaching/consulting business, Realize You Coaching. Rachel has had the opportunity to coach thousands of people on the power of creating awareness, connecting within, and finding the confidence to overcome fear and self-doubt to amplify their impact personally and professionally. 

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn

YouTube

TikTok

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
• Email the Show: [email protected]
• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
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Send us Fan Mail

Bio:

Rachel has 17+ years of experience leading, developing, and coaching global teams in Fortune 500 companies. Her expertise is in learning and development, where she has designed, developed, and launched multiple billion-dollar brands and trained teams who have negotiated multiple billion-dollar contracts. Rachel's favorite accomplishment was creating multiple leadership capabilities academies focused on the holistic development of individuals and leaders. 

In 2020, Rachel took the biggest leap of faith and started my coaching/consulting business, Realize You Coaching. Rachel has had the opportunity to coach thousands of people on the power of creating awareness, connecting within, and finding the confidence to overcome fear and self-doubt to amplify their impact personally and professionally. 

Social Media Links:

LinkedIn

YouTube

TikTok

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
• Email the Show: [email protected]
• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
• Follow on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Send us Fan Mail

📩 Connect & Support

• Join the Substack Community: Widening Your Aperture Substack
• Explore Our Resource Roadmap: https://www.wideningyouraperture.com/resources
• Watch Video Episodes on YouTube: The Widening Your Aperture Podcast
• Email the Show: [email protected]
• Support WYA: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help this work reach others!
• Follow on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn