"What's Next?" With Steve Blasen

Matt has been in Monterey working remotely while his partner completed her Graduate Degree at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Soon they will be off on a new adventure in La Jolla and I just had to get him on the podcast! Very much a product of the Midwest by way of Chicago, Illinois,  he is very grateful for his upbringing that encompasses both Greek and American culture, which is very much his father’s doing. Matt remembers his father’s love of the United States and his appreciation for the opportunities available here. His father fled Greece in the 1960s immigrating to the United States, and worked hard to provide Matt the opportunity to pursue his dream of being a journalist. Matt watched All the President’s Men in the 8th grade, he knew he wanted to be a political journalist. As a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, IA, Matt worked just as hard as his father had, Trying to get his foot in the door working minimum wage internships, writing for The National Journal and The Atlantic, and eventually making his way to Capital Hill. He spent about 10 years in Washington D.C. After years in political journalism, he had an opportunity to veer away from Washington and tour the country interviewing the working class and asking "How the economy at the time was affecting their lives". Covering stories of the working-class citizens brought him back to his roots, and he truly enjoyed telling their stories. 

After the 2016 election, Matt was fried. Being an avid hiker, Matt and one of his co-workers hiked the Pacific Coast Trail starting in April 2017 and completing the hike in September 2017. From Trail Angels helping the two along the way to the challenges with nature, the experience has left a lasting and humbling impression on him.

I hope you enjoy this podcast! Originally recorded September 21, 2022 

Humans like Yvonne give me hope for this generation. Educated, resilient, grounded, open-minded, and compassionate are values that come to mind after doing this podcast. Yvonne is on the verge of completing her master’s degree in Computer Science specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI.) We dive into building AI software, AI ethics, philosophers of today (or lack thereof,) society, morals, and social media. Going to school during the pandemic was challenging however, she highly recommends Naval Post Graduate School to everyone. Hailing from the L.A. area, Yvonne joined the Marine Corps after high school to pay for her education. She wanted to help herself through school so her parents wouldn’t have to. She attributes her success, traits, and characteristics to her mother and family. Her mother valued education and instilled that in her children. There was no other option. Yvonne’s mother was a nurse in Mexico and was working on a degree in social work when she met her father. They married and settled just north of Long Beach. Yvonne and her husband (who is also in the Marine Corp.) will soon head to Washington for their payback tour. With his background in infantry and space systems operations…the sky’s literally the limit with what they can do. Both were thinking, “What can we do that will create more options?” One of their goals is to buy both of their parents their dream homes.

I hope you enjoy this podcast!

Originally recorded 09/20/22

John Gianelli started Swift Engineering as well as Fast Forward Components. Building, setting up, and designing Championship Formula Ford Race Cars, turning his passion into a profession!  He is now retired and serves as President of Meals on Wheels of Salinas Valley. 

John and his wife have been coming to me since the early days in Salinas. I had such a great time talking to John. His passion for racing cars started at such a young age. His father had a career in aviation which required some travelling. Although born in Texas the family returned to California and settled in Southern California. Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, the car culture/race culture was thick. His father one day brought home a go-cart, and he started racing. On John’s 21st birthday, his father bought him racing classes at the Willow Springs Raceway. With slick tires introduced, John was priced out of racing but began building and importing race cars. John teamed up with people who wanted to build an American Version of what they were importing from England and started Swift Racecars. Their first Formula Ford build won many national championships. A job offer in Laguna Seca relocated the two to Monterey County. Still involved in racing at the time, he was involved in founding Fast Forward components.  Aviation re-entered his life and flew planes as a hobby for over 20 years. He flew with his father twice in his life and was happy to return to aviation. Currently in his eighth year of retirement, he is the current President of Meals on Wheels of Salinas Valley. John started off delivering, then preparing and packaging for Meals on Wheels.

I hope you enjoy this podcast!
Originally recorded September 9, 2022

This podcast was such fun! Caesar has a great story and great energy! Born and raised in Missouri, right after graduating high school on a Friday, Caesar enlisted in the Navy the following Monday. He was encouraged by an electronics class instructor in vocational school to enlist in the Navy. Caesar managed not to work on ships while in the Navy and fixed electronics on P-3 aircraft. He did manage to stay one night on a ship after a night of drinking while in Florida. While stationed in Florida, Caesar stumbled upon a flying club on the base where people could learn to fly. What was initially meant to be fun, eventually became a career! It wasn’t easy though. Caesar really worked his a** off to get to where he is now, sacrificing while young and able, working his way up from private flights, to becoming a certified flying instructor, to buying his first job! Nowadays, Caesar tries his best to work west of Denver (Hawaii) and live his dream in California. On his off days, he stays busy with woodwork, metalwork, CNC machine work, and more. I hope you enjoy the podcast!

Originally recorded on September 6, 2022 

Author of "True North – The Shocking Truth about Yours, Mine, and Ours", Facilitator of Breakthrough for Men, a survivor of child abuse, a practitioner of Transcendental meditation, and an inspiration to others. Tom North was #4 of 8 children then became the 11th of 20 children when his mother Helen remarried Frank after becoming a widow. His father, a Navy officer who flew experimental aircraft died while on assignment. Helen married a monster to save Frank's own kids from their father and ultimately, put her own kids in a hostile environment. At 13 years old, Tom had to decide whether he should kill his stepfather. Tom credits Transcendental meditation to help him heal and we go into depth talking about meditation. To go beyond thought, to get to the source of everything. To experience pure being without being something or someone, in silence, in the vacuum state.  How our principles and window of perception somehow influence how we process life and information. Tom was a student at the Maharishi International University from 1975 – 1979. I am going to have Tom on the show again soon, he is currently writing another book titled, The Richest Man in China. Here are links to some of the items mentioned in the podcast. I hope you enjoy this podcast!

A Fire in the Heart – How Art Heals Trauma

https://vimeo.com/372924081

 http://truenorthbytomnorth.com/

I was so intrigued when Michelle told me she was a mortician, of course, I had to have her on the podcast! She is not at all what I would expect a mortician would be, however, I do not know how one should be! Michelle grew up in the outskirts of Sacramento, CA., moved to Portland after high school to beat the heat as well as attended Mortuary School then made her way back to California. In high school, during career day, a county coroner introduced what it is like to be a coroner, and the seed was planted. The major drawback was the coroner was part of the sheriff’s office and she lost interest until a classmate said, “Thought about being a mortician?” From there, she did her schooling research and even toured a funeral home and cemetery. We talk about everything from the emotional perspective of both the client and her, funerals and Covid, embalming, being a removal technician, funeral arranger, then funeral director, and so much more! During her spare time, Michelle likes to forage and sing. Spending some time living in Monterey in her early 20s now returning to lay down roots, Michelle and her husband are transitioning to living in Monterey full-time. I hope you enjoy this podcast. 

Avid bicycler, athlete, teacher, Naval Officer, Father, Traveler. Rodney was the oldest of five on a dairy farm in rural Mayville, Wisconsin. Rodney went to college, left, and joined the Navy at the age of 20, then went back to college to obtain his teaching degree, and taught kindergarten for a few years but wanderlust took hold, and he went back to the Navy! His first enlistment was spent on Diesel electrical submarines and Rodney waited for the opportunity to reenlist and go back to his first submarine base. From Submarines, Amphibious ships, Frigates and Aircraft Carriers, officer school, Oil rig, Vietnam War, and eventually achieving Lieutenant Commander/Division Officer. He spent about 18 years in active duty spending the latter part of his time teaching the Naval school in Monterey, then retiring. Drifting around unsure of what to do, doing different jobs after retirement, from selling shoes to becoming a counselor for disabled persons, to spending 20 years working with developmentally disabled finding, training, and creating jobs for them. Nowadays he bikes about 3 days a week and cares for his granddaughter.

I hope you enjoy this podcast! This podcast was originally recorded January 11, 2022.

I had a chance to sit down with Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji of the Army Green Beret, A–Team Special Forces. Now retired and living with his wife in California. Changiz, along with Ralph Pezzullo Authored Full Battle Rattle, giving firsthand accounts of over one hundred completed combat missions in Afghanistan. Changiz was the First Muslim Green Beret, serving twenty-four years on the special forces A–Team, longer than anyone in history. I found him to be such a kind and humble human being, what an absolute pleasure it was to have him on the podcast. I cannot wait to have him on again!

I hope you enjoy this podcast. Originally recorded on August 9, 2022.

If you are interested in his book, click on the links below.

https://www.amazon.com/Full-Battle-Rattle-Longest-Serving-Team/dp/1250121159

Hannah has been a client for 6 plus years now. A local yoga and barre instructor who is also on the verge of completing her master’s degree in Ayurveda from the Maharishi International University. Ayurveda is unfamiliar territory, and I was curious to learn more about Ayurveda and Hannah. Ayurveda is the oldest written form in health care, originating in India. It is the sister science of yoga, focusing on the body as a whole – mental, emotional, and physical. Hannah’s roots are Cape Cod but California is where she calls home. Years ago, on assignment for a local newspaper, she was sent to research a local Aruyveda facility and left completely inspired! We talk about life, meditation, diet, food preparation, breathing, dis-ease, the three Doshas, and so much more! I hope you enjoy this podcast. It was originally recorded on July 19, 2022. You can find Hannah at Om Studio in Monterey, CA teaching Yoga and Barre. Below is a link to her website.

https://www.healthwhannah.com/

Had a great conversation getting to know a new client Menaka, a Physical Therapist/Intuitive Life coach/Screenwriter, here on assignment until mid-July. Earning a Masters degree in Physiotherapy (aka physical therapy) in 1995, Menaka has worked both in Canada and the United States for over 27 years. She shares her interests in life as well as what it is like to work as a Physical Therapist in various settings and inevitable changes constant in health care. An interest in energy healing led her to becoming an Intuitive Life Coach. From energy fields, retained beliefs and emotions, transferred/absorbed energy during massages, to releasing the energy that weighs people down – it was a fascinating subject. Menaka hopes to soon get to the point in life where she does less Physical Therapy and more Intuitive Life Coaching. Also having a passion for reading and writing, she took Ed to go classes in her 40s to learn Screenwriting. She has since written three screenplays with her teacher and one on her own.

Check out her website!

https://www.menakacharan.com/

Listen to Menaka’s podcast and find out What’s Next for her because there is more! Originally recorded on July 5, 2022