This is My Silver Lining

Olaseni Bello is a Nigerian immigrant, an American citizen, a husband, a father, a lawyer with an MBA, an entrepreneur, and a decorated veteran. And not one of these things has come easy.  With the belief that you have the power to change your life for the better, Olaseni does not accept challenges lying down.  

Olaseni tells us about his highly anticipated arrival on American soil, knowing that upon landing his entire life would change.  His understanding of America came from TV and movies, and he was greeted here with many unexpected challenges.  He didn’t fit in because of the way he spoke, his clothes, and the way he looked.  His mother enrolled him in Tae Kwon Do, where he excelled, and where he learned to embrace the mental and physical self-discipline that he has relied on throughout his life.  

After law school and completing a judicial clerkship, rather than taking the traditional path to a law firm, Olaseni wanted to repay what he calls a “debt of gratitude to America.”  Coming here as an immigrant, Olaseni talks about fully recognizing and appreciating the opportunities that this country provided to him.  He applied to join the Army JAG Corps, specifically requesting assignment to Fort Hood, Texas, and made clear that he wanted to be deployed to Afghanistan to serve his country.  

We talk about the challenges that Olaseni – and many veterans – faced after separating from the military and trying to transition to the corporate world.  Despite 5.5 years in the JAG Corps, law firms did not see his experience as relevant.  He realized that he had to learn to sell his skills in a way that a non-military employer could understand.  Every employer is looking for someone who has a particular set of skills – who can say “I do X.” Olaseni says, “In the Army we solve problems and that is our X.  And that X keeps changing.”  Adapting quickly and being resourceful are veteran super-skills.  

After overcoming so many challenges and having such great success, Olaseni leaves us with his thoughts on never letting fear guide your decisions.  “Failure is part of the equation for opportunity.. . . Failure is a tool that forces us to get creative or explore a path we may have ignored.”  Olaseni doesn’t see failures as roadblocks, but sees his failures as silver linings.  Each has been “illuminating in its own way.”

Episode Links and Resources:
JAG Corps:  https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/specialty-careers/law.html
Carpe Med:  https://www.carpemedtravel.com/
Olaseni Bello Bio:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/olaseni-a-bello-jr-esq/

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Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2022 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing.

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Being laid off from her longtime position running an emergency medicine training program at a large suburban hospital, Chanda tells us how this setback (with the help of an inspiring letter from a former student) ultimately inspired her to launch her own business, the EMS Institute of Fairfield County (the “Institute”).  

Chanda talks about how she hopes to inspire young Black women.  When she was growing up, she didn’t see any Black women entering the field of emergency medicine.  She knows directly the power of if you can see it, you can be it.   

Chanda discusses how and why she puts her students through the  “212 teaching Method;” teaching her students to give more than just the bare minimum.  At 211°, Chanda explains, water is really hot.  But add just one more degree, and that water is boiling, emitting steam and enough energy to power a locomotive.  She motivates her students to give that one extra degree, which can make all the difference.  Chanda’s classes are really hard, but her students unanimously agree that, as a result, they are better trained than many of their peers to handle life-critical situations.  

Chanda emphasizes the importance of knowing CPR, “an easy life-saving skill that you can learn in less than 2 hours.”  She shares a story of two cardiac arrest patients who arrived in the emergency room one Thanksgiving evening:  one had received immediate CPR from a trained family member and walked out of the hospital that night.  The other only received CPR upon arriving at the emergency room, where Chanda did CPR for 43 minutes.  Sadly, that patient did not survive.  Every second counts in emergency response; acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death.  

Chanda is not your typical teacher and her story isn’t just about teaching the basics of CPR.  Kindness is part of the curriculum.  Not only does she encourage her students to be kind to one another, she asks that they share at least one nice thing about each other at the end of class.   While her day job is focused on life-saving, Chanda teaches (and learns from) her students the ways in which kindness can be life-changing.  

Episode Resources:

EMS Institute of Fairfield County:  https://emsinsfc.com/
212° the Extra Degree:  https://www.inspireyourpeople.com/212-the-extra-degree/
Chanda Brodnax-Nino Profile:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanda-brodnax-nino-370886125/

Support the podcast by subscribing and reviewing!

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.
Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2022 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing.

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Kevin Sousa is a Program Director and Ocean Therapist at the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, as well as a therapist in private practice in Hermosa Beach, California.  While we initially approached Kevin to learn more about the benefits of surf therapy and the work of the JMMF, we quickly learned that Kevin had his own story to tell about his path to sobriety, being present, and the importance of enjoying the wave you’re on right now. 

Kevin shared with us his doctoral thesis, Soul Seeking: A Crossing, where he shares his journey from alcohol abuse and addiction to sobriety through the lens of training for the Catalina Classic, an annual 32-mile paddleboard marathon from Catalina Island to Manhattan Beach, CA.  Kevin’s story is one of endurance, gratitude, and one of healing himself by helping others.  Training for the Classic carried Kevin through the earliest and most difficult days of his path to sobriety.  As a professional musician, building up his physical endurance to complete the race was only part of Kevin’s journey.  Unleashing new found creativity, songwriting and performing, played a significant role in Kevin’s ability to confront and deal with his addictions.  

We learn about the history and the work of the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, one of the oldest surf therapy programs in the country, which provides surf therapy to “at-promise” youth, veterans through the Wounded Warrior battalion at Camp Pendleton, and most recently, first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

We talk about a lot more than surfing.  Kevin shares his views on meditation and how being mindful has helped him along his journey.  “You can’t do it wrong,” he says.     

Whether it’s meditating, writing music, performing, surfing. . . Kevin tells us that it’s all about putting yourself in situations where you have to stay engaged and stay present.  Kevin’s message is one we can all learn from:  focus on the present.  “The perfect wave is the one you’re on.”

Support the podcast by subscribing and reviewing!

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.
Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2022 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing.

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

It has been a long two years.  Correction:  two-plus years.  We’re all exhausted by the unending wait for this COVID 19 pandemic to be over.  Our guest, Dr. Evangeline Thibodeau feels the same way.  She’s a mom of three living in a small town on the coast of Maine.  But Evangeline doesn’t have the luxury of turning off the news and forgetting about COVID for a few hours.  She’s been in the thick of it all longer than most of us, and still is.  She is the person that this small town turns to for guidance as everyone tries to live with this virus and adapt to a new normal.  Imagine enjoying a Saturday morning soccer game at your daughter’s school as parents casually (or not so casually) ask questions like, “Is it safe for me to visit my parents for Christmas?” “Do we really need to wear masks?”  No pressure!  

Evangeline likens her role to someone who is flying an airplane while they are still trying to put the wings on.  We talk with her about the challenges of being the “expert” while the information available is constantly changing.   

Although she has every reason to, Evangeline doesn’t focus on the burnout.  In fact, she’s grateful for the lessons that these past two years have taught her.  When it is so easy to judge someone who doesn’t see eye to eye with you, she has learned to be more understanding and compassionate.  She has become resilient instead of exhausted.  She has cherished the extra time with her family, and even tells us about a new sport they all learned together. . . and it’s not a sport that naturally comes to mind when you think about the great state of Maine!  For Evangeline, the pandemic has been a reminder of why she entered the medical field in the first place: to treat people whose health is suffering with kindness, dignity and compassion.

If an infectious disease doctor in the midst of a global pandemic can find the silver linings. . . so can you.  Tune in to hear more.

Support the podcast by subscribing and reviewing!

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.
Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2022 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing.

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

It’s true that you never really know what someone else might be going through.  But just think about what might happen if we did; how we might treat each other with more patience and compassion.  The world needs us to take a step back and listen to one another.  We hope that you are as inspired as we are by these stories of the people you might pass on the sidewalk each day; about what inspires them to take chances, to be kind, and to find gratitude despite the obstacles that they face.

Each week, This is My Silver Lining shines a light on some extraordinary ordinary people as they share their stories of courage, resilience, determination, and how they manage to find silver linings through it all.

Listen to and follow This is My Silver Lining on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you find your podcasts so you can get every show as soon as it is released each week.  You can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.  If you have a silver lining you'd like to share, leave us a message on our website, thisismysilverlining.com, where you'll find shownotes and more information.

Support this podcast by subscribing and reviewing.

Music is considered “royalty-free” and discovered on Audio Blocks.

Technical Podcast Support by: Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.

© 2025 Silver Linings Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.