Think Courageously with Deb Cummins Stellato

A self proclaimed super nerdy applied math major with an interest in quantitative, Zoe is the host of her own podcast, Solace In the City

Zoe was following the plan. Rigorously and with excellence. Her plan followed her families playbook for a career in finance. The dream took her to NYC...romanticizing the life made popular in Sex and the City. 

In this episode, we talk about the reality of loneliness of the city life, the reality of a quarter-life  crisis, and the “why” behind Zoe’s podcast. 

We also talk about reframing success. From the eyes of a millennial...

“You  can create businesses like you and I are creating that 10 years. years ago, nobody ever would have dreamed of. That wasn't even a thing. So being a solopreneur and leading with I'm a podcast host right, is just a whole new world. I think it's limitless, versus the box that we sometimes put ourselves in”.

Join us as we #thinkcourageously

Just Taylor...

The daughter of addiction and a former member of the “Work Hard, Numb Hard” society, Taylor knows the suffocating effects of addiction and fear.

In a pursuit to find her authentic self, Taylor removed all titles and affiliations to her name becoming just Taylor.

"When you realize that you don't know what you want, and you also realize that the person that you label yourself as, and the things that you attach to your identity, aren't really yours. They're gifts from someone else, society, family. For me, big time, family. When you realize that none of that is yours and that you have nothing and you are willing to put it aside and look, and just take a look at yourself, that's what you are. You're a blank page."

In this episode of the podcast, Taylor and I speak candidly about her path to recovery.
overcoming limiting beliefs, past addiction, sexual assault, and abuse.

And, she shares her story of pivoting.

"It was a series of pivots...step one was my, my partner saying, I'm not speaking to you because you're blacking out so much. You've destroyed too many holes in our house. Step two was therapy. Step three was reading a book about being the child of an alcoholic."

Let's look at #thinkingcourageously with Taylor. 

Taylor can be found on her website livingwanderfull.com
and  instagram.com/LivingWanderfull. 

I never wanted pain to be my story. Enthusiastic. Positive. Optimistic. Inspiring.Words that are often used to describe me and my temperament. 

There is another side to my side story. Persistence and courage in dealing with 10 years of chronic pain in my neck. 

From cryotherapy to acupuncture to hypnotherapy to botox injections, to medical marijuana and two surgeries, I've learned to be courageous in advocating for my own healthcare. 

This is a glimpse into a long and not so fun part of my story. Dealing with a "hidden challenge" like chronic pain or mental health is extra challenging for those of us who present as positive, perky, people. 

This is a glimpse into my journey...

Courage. Carri is the ultimate definition of #farrahtheLioness embodying the power of hope. Her story is one that might change your life forever. 

Carri is the founder of Victory Lane Consulting , LLC. She is a Health & Empowerment Coach empowering women to move out of their own comfort and challenge themselves by losing excess body fat, tackling a new hobby, creating new goals or just adding passion into their lives. She is a published author, Along Came Hope, national public speaker, 2-time Cancer survivor, and angel mommy. Additionally, she is a world-traveler, 6-time marathon finisher and long-distance cyclist, and former ballroom dancer. Recently, she summitted the top of Pikes Peak by bicycle. Carri is married to the love of her life, Edwin, who are both so thankful to be parents to their 6-year old Ethiopian daughter, Anavie Hope.

You can connect with Carri at:

My Website: https://victorylanecoaching.com/
My book: http://www.alongcamehope.com/

What thoughts race through your mind when you hear your own voice? As a podcaster, I made the decision to not scrub my episodes to a highly mastered piece of work...to keep things real. And, listening to the sound of my own voice is discombobulating. 

"You should do voiceovers." "You could be the voice of a Disney character." "I had to see where that voice is coming from."...

I'm pretty sure that this feedback got in the way of me thinking I could do this podcast thing! And finally, listening to an episode of this podcast with my husband, I really leaned into the experience of what it means to listen to yourself.

What does it mean to have a voice? How do we use our voice in this chaotic time? What gets in the way of us speaking up and speaking out? What filters pop-up when we courageously use our vocal cords to contribute?

In this episode, I'm talking about our own "voice".  Not just the sound, but the emotion that is stirred up inside when we hear ourselves speak. 

Our voices make us vulnerable and powerful simultaneously. How can we listen to our own words as we Think Courageously?

Newark, NJ native. Pivoter. Writer. Daughter of Immigrants. Meet Marlene.

Her "aha" courage moment came while working at Lincoln Center. Marlene loved working in the performing arts but wanted more involved in the creative & artistic process so in 2007, she pivoted from a traditional, full-time employee to a freelance teacher/writer and entrepreneur. 

She began teaching literacy and creative writing classes for both children and adults. This work ignited her passion and fueled her to start a non-profit focused on children’s literacy called Kids Research Center (KRC). KRC has been around for 12 years and continues to provide free literacy classes and programs to children. 

During this time, she began working on her own writing - she's written several books, poems, articles. She won the literary fiction award from the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers for a story called “The Return of J Walker.” 

In 2015 she made another pivot and began working on a new business focused on families, children, teaching artists, and technology. In 2016, she launched CuratedCare.com with my business partner, Erin McConaghy. Curated Care is an online marketplace like Etsy or Airbnb where families connect with and book teachers and artists for babysitting sessions, private lessons, online tutoring, and party entertainment. Providers on the site “Kid Experts” and they are inspiring, talented entrepreneurs themselves who enjoy working with and sharing their creative skillset with children. 

In the last 4 years, Curated Care has grown to over 330 Kid Experts in New York City.  The company beta launched in Los Angeles in late 2019 and recently expanded our B2B arm to Miami. 

During this episode, we talk the "real" challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of finding your tribe, building a network of women collaborators, and parenting. 
 

Where to Find Marlene:

Curated Care Website - www.curatedcare.com

Curated Care FB - https://www.facebook.com/curatedcare/

Curated Care Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curatedcare/?hl=e

"Success now is about the present and being happy with today."-Marlene Veloso

I thought long and hard about recording this podcast. Today is June 5th 2020 and I recorded this show yesterday amidst the headlines of a world turned upside down. 

We are still in the midst of a pandemic. And, another virus has reared its ugly head. The sickness is the complete breakdown of our social justice system. 

I am a white, middle-class, Jewish woman of privilege. I grew in a vanilla world and made decisions through my mid-20's that kept me in my bubble. In my days as a Student Affairs professional at Lafayette College, I was given the gift of becoming an ally for many disenfranchised students. I took every opportunity during that time to step out of my bubble. 

In the early 2000's, I made a big pivot and joined the team at the largest diversity, equity, and inclusion firm in the country as a consultant. It was there that I learned how to burst through my bubble of whiteness and become an anti-racist. 

I am far from an expert on this topic but I felt it was important to share my journey. Hopefully, it will inspire you to shake-up your own box. There has never been a more important time to Think Courageously.

Miriam Illions was born in Suffern, New York and at the age of 10, moved to Jerusalem with her family. She grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family where she learned about safety and "playing by the rules"  At 17, she found her courage and left all that she knew.

We talk about her childhood, her spiritual journey, shame, guilt, and, the power of unleashing your mane.

Miriam is the co-founder and CMO of a large digital media platform, and a certified core energy coach. As a media executive, she finds great satisfaction in creating and distributing empowering content to millions of viewers and leading an awesome team. As a coach, Miriam embarked on a journey of self-discovery that allowed her to unleash her inner truth and live as her most fulfilled self. Today, she helps others make that journey back to themselves through one on one coaching and content resources on her website miriamillions.com  

I'm not 100% sure why I decided to have this "Ask The Podcaster" episode on show 18. It feels a little indulgent. I could have waited for the "Big 20" or some other arbitrary milestone. But, obviously, I didn't.

Truth be told, yesterday was my birthday. My first and hopefully, my last, "COVID-19" birthday. I am a great lover of the practice of doing birthdays in a BIG way. As a mom, I would consider party planning to be one of my best skill sets. We had all sorts of cool birthdays for my daughter Alli. American Girl tea parties. Red-carpet Hollywood events. These were not lavish Kardashian type gatherings, but more creative expressions of my love for my magnificent child. 

As an adult, I started a totally ego-centric activity. Ready...wait for it...National Deb Appreciation Month, which falls in May. I felt deserving of this Festivus because my bday and Mother's Day fell so closely together. Why not keep the party going?

However; those days have sadly come to an end with this Pandemic thing. Long way of saying I did this podcast simply for fun on my birthday week during a not-so-fun time. 

You'll learn lots of crazy things about me thanks to the curious questions of my fabulous followers. 

I really hope you enjoy this. And if you are smiling...I've had the perfect day!

Born in Moldova, Izolda Trakhtenberg learned how to communicate in multiple languages through a year-long immigration process.

She learned leadership and creative thinking skills by living in a war zone.

Today, Izolda presents keynotes and programs that help people unleash their creative genius to do their best work and live their best lives. She traveled the world as a NASA trainer.

She is also the author of six books, including, Win The Day and Speak From Within, Engage, Inspire, and Motivate Any Audience, and Get Your Stuff Done! and the host of the Creative Mindset podcast. 

Recently, Izolda and her husband took the plunge and moved their businesses and home from the DC area to her dream home of New York City. She, her husband, and their cats live in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Izolda and I take an incredible journey into the pillars of success, courage, and pillars. From Izolda's family's journey to America, her fascinating career, and her insight on the intersection of intuition and logic, this episode takes our podcast to an all-new universe.