Untrained Wisdom

Cheri Villa's affinity for horses stemmed from toys, books, and TV shows she was a youngster – not from being around the majestic creatures like many kids. So, years later, when she articulated her desire to have a horse – something that didn't make conventional sense since she never grew up learning to ride – little did she realize that admission would lead her to relocate in 2019 from an intense-paced life in the Washington, D.C.-area to a quaint horse farm in Ocala, Florida.

In this interview, Cheri talks about how she followed her strong desire to shift her life and follow her purpose. Previously the Chief Operating Officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, she became a quick study on caring for horses and eventually starting Pegasus Horse Wisdom, a leadership and life coaching business anchored by her equines. Cheri discusses the role her horses have in helping her clients, many of whom are women in life or career transitions. She also shares tidbits of life with her animals on Instagram (@serenity_at_tudorfarm) and on YouTube (Tudor Farm).

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Cheri's Recommendations:
- Mindvalley online personal growth learning platform
- Brendon Burchard, high performance and personal development coach
- Earthing by Clinton Ober, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, and Martin Zucker

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

Check out these recommendations and more on the Untrained Wisdom Pinterest page.

Also, if you or someone you know is unfamiliar or new to podcasts and would like to know the basics about how to access and listen to them, check out this blog post to learn how you can be part of a free online talk Shuva will give on Friday, Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. CST.

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Niki Kuklenski of Washington state has been involved with llamas since she was a youngster. After graduating from college, she went on to train the top show llama of all time. Following his success, Eagle became registered for therapy work with Pet Partners, a national organization that registers nine different species of animals for such purposes. Since that time, Niki's therapy animal registrations include more than 10 different llamas.

In this interview, the schoolteacher talks about the impact llamas can have on senior citizens in residential care facilities and the benefit of such visits for the animals. Furthermore, she shares the importance of being aware of how llamas react to community environments so they don't feel stressed or upset. With her many years of experience, Niki serves as a valuable resource and expert when it comes to educating the public about llamas and guiding people interested in working with the species in a therapy capacity. She shares her knowledge and daily experiences freely online in various places - including her website (jnkllamas.com), Facebook page (Registered Therapy Llamas), and Instagram account (@therapyllamas).

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Niki's Recommendation:
- Heartfelt Connections by Anne E. Beall

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Prairie Patch Farm near Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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Check out the Untrained Wisdom blog for some FAQs about the show.

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The Arizona Pet Project is a nonprofit headquartered in Phoenix that focuses on building safer, healthier communities for people and their pets. In this interview, Executive Director Leanna Taylor talks about the work the organization does for people who may be struggling to care for their pets - many of whom are senior citizens on fixed incomes and are experiencing mental or physical challenges as they navigate through transitions in life.

Leanna also talks about how the organization came to fruition, the progress it's made in helping keep pets with their elderly owners, and the services offered to ensure animals are taken care of while their owners work toward getting their lives stabilized.

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Leanna's Recommendations:
- Nice White Parents podcast
- Arizona

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Rock'n Roll Arizona Half Marathon

Check out the Untrained Wisdom blog to learn about behind-the-scenes decisions about the show.

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Dr. Chris Herzig is a full-time radiologist in southern California who – in partnership with his wife, Lisa – produces fun learning tools for young school-aged students. His work with Unicorn Jazz, an educational children's community brand that includes books and an Amazon TV show, allows Chris to explore new technologies and creative projects that don't play a role in his medical career. In addition, his science background serves as a foundation to incorporate left-brained learning - especially about nature and different animal species - to the fantasy landscape whose aim is to teach youngsters about belonging, being unique, and believing in others.

In this interview, Chris talks about his willingness to stretch himself by trying new things and how working in a pandemic has positively impacted the Unicorn Jazz community. He also shares details about two upcoming children's books in which he collaborated.

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Chris' Recommendation:
- Mammoth Lakes, CA

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Amtrak's Coast Starlight route

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Only one week after she retired as the CEO and president of a science museum in Iowa, Kim Findlay and her husband left their home to explore the western U.S. in their RV. With them was their 10-year-old Golden Retriever, Harley, who the couple adopted when he was 8 weeks old. In the months to follow Kim's observations of how Harley responded to the world around him, coupled with the dog's changing health, prompted her to celebrate the furry family member in the form of a children's picture book published in 2020 called Harley's Great Adventure: Meeting Change with Courage and Kindness.

In this interview, Kim shares about how Harley spent his days before the RV adventure began, how the process of writing a book took shape, as well as the feedback she got after publication from family and friends. Furthermore, she shares what she hopes the book will bring to readers of all ages.

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Kim's Recommendation:
- 1SE app

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Vivien Fallows of West Sussex, England took horse riding lessons as a child. That experience, though, was not pivotal to her upbringing. She stopped her lessons, grew up, raised a family, had a career, and pursued other interests - including writing a memoir called Travels with George: Diary of a Mum on a Mission published in 2017 about her solo journey to Australia after the age of 50.

After Vivien and her husband moved from London to a small village, where nearly everyone was riding a horse, did she begin thinking about taking lessons again. That eventually led to her being the owner of a Welsh mountain pony named Casper. In this interview, Vivien talks about her experiences with horses as a youngster, the thought process on revisiting riding after many years, as well as how Casper is a ingrained part of her life as they've both matured.

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Vivien's Recommendations:
- The Famished Road by Ben Okri
- Books of Thomas Hardy, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Wilkie Collins
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- The Crown (Seasons 1 and 2)

Shuva's Recommendation:
- Doctor Who

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Welcome to Season 3 of Untrained Wisdom, a podcast featuring people 55+ who are currently redefining the paradigm with amazing and inspiring endeavors, and industry professionals whose expertise improves the lives of seasoned generations. An additional common denominator of all the Season 3 guests is interesting animal-related stories, whether it's about a dog, horse, llama, bird or fictional character.

Season 3 consists of 7 interviews - released each Tuesday starting January 19, 2021. Conversations were conducted online with guests in England and the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Florida, and Washington.

Host Shuva Rahim introduces you to the season's guests through audio previews from their respective interviews (:46.16 to 5:01.12).

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If you're someone who searches the web to locate a specific episode for a link in the Show Notes, there's now an easier stopping place to turn to: the Untrained Wisdom Pinterest page.

In this short episode, host Shuva Rahim explains some of the different Pinterest boards on the Untrained Wisdom page, which include Guest Businesses/Employers and Guest Book Recommendations.

If you're on Pinterest, follow Untrained Wisdom to stay updated on new pins.

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In what's been a difficult year for many, a few guests from Season 1 and Season 2 share some positive moments from their 2020 after an introductory statement from host Shuva Rahim.

In this episode you'll hear from: 

• Nia Instructor Beth Pelton, Ep. 1
• Parent Caregiver & Author Diane Koster, Ep. 7
  (Learn about Lindsay's Legacy Fund)
• Prenatal Yoga Instructor Roberta Kelinson, Ep. 11
• Card Writer to Senior Home Residents Deborah Widger, Ep. 14
  (DM her @shopgalny on Instagram about donating cards)
• Poet Mary F. Lenox, Ep. 17
• "Women Going For It" Author Diana Coleman, Ep. 22

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Unlike a lot of family businesses, Brad Borg and Cathy Borg began working together only a few years ago. The close relationship between the brother and sister exudes a level of trust that puts the clients of their Toronto-based business, In and Out Organizing, at ease.

In this interview, the siblings talk about how their different work backgrounds – which include jobs in government, the arts, and education – prepared them to work in the organizing industry. They also discuss the common thread of life-changing experiences – regardless of where someone is in life – that leads people to reach out to them. Brad and Cathy also reflect on some lighter moments in their interactions with clients that keep the work interesting.

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Brad's Recommendation:
- Québec City

Cathy's Recommendation:
- Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? by Peter Walsh

Shuva's Recommendation:
- SelfControl app

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