WRAR with Sparks

Failing might seem scary or even painful from a distance; perhaps that's why many prefer not to try, which feels safer. Yet even if you don't achieve an objective in a particular time, it can still be done; failing can be a good thing. You'll learn what you've done wrong, where you need to improve, and what you need to conquer your goals.

This week, in the last episode of the year, our Creative Director, Samantha Trotter, and our Director of Productions, Kathy Preston, join us to reflect on 2022's highlights, the lessons it taught us, and what is coming for WRAR in 2023. 

We share some details of the programs we'll release soon to help you elevate your voice and get your message out there; we discuss the importance of keep trying after failing and some of our personal and professional goals and aspirations for next year. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About WRAR's goals for 2023 (3:11)
• Is not trying better than failing? (3:43)
• The importance of backing each other during hard times (7:02)
• What is the Love Alchemy program, and how can it help you elevate your voice ( 14:06)

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Painful moments and loss are inevitable elements of anyone's life; there is nothing we can do to prevent bad things happen to us. Suffering, on the other hand, is entirely optional. What we do with what happens to us makes the difference. Facing the death of a loved one, we can drown in a pool of anger and self-pity, or we can use that loss as a catalyst to become better versions of ourselves and honor that person's memory. 

In today's episode, Jeff Johnston joins us to talk about how he used the death of one of his kids as fuel to rise for his family and give them nothing but the best of himself. Jeff is the author of "This one's for you," a book that aims to inspire those fighting the war against their addictions. He is also the host of the Living Undeterred podcast and the founder of Living Undeterred, dedicated to changing the narrative on mental health, substance abuse, and addiction, and Choices Network, a space designed to educate and inspire teens and young adults to make positive choices.

Throughout our conversation, Jeff talks about how his life changed after losing his older son Seth, how his family reacted to the massive blow, and how it helped him see life differently. We talk about his book and how he felt during the writing process and after finishing it. 

Plus, we discuss why we let things stop us from being our best version, the damaging mistake of comparing grief, why we should pursue piece instead of happiness, and more.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Life humbles you when you think you are at the top of the mountain (3:08)
• How Jeff and his family reacted to the loss of Seth (7:19)
• About Jeff's transformation and getting rid of the sightseeing mindset (11:52)
• Do things happen to you or for you? (15:44)
• What's stopping you from being the person you need to be (27:45)

Resources:

• Living Undeterred website
• Choices Network website
• Book: Jeff Johnston - This One's For You: An Inspirational Journey Through Addiction, Death, and Meaning
• Living Undeterred podcast

Connect with Jeff:

• LinkedIn

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If every time you wake up, you think, "ugh, I have to go to work," that's the energy you'll carry throughout your day and the rest of the week. Life becomes less and less enjoyable, all you do is wait for the weekend to come, which seems like a tiny spark of hope from far until it's there, and you spend it recovering yourself. 

How would you know when is enough? How would you recognize you ARE enough and HAVE what it takes to enjoy life? 

In this episode, I'm joined by a goddess, my mentor, and the reason why I got into podcasting, Ginni Saraswati. Ginni is an Award-Winning Journalist, Podcast Producer, Content Creator Specialist, and Host of the Ginni Show podcast. She is also a Founder, a Contributor at Forbes, Fast Company, Rolling Stone, and Entrepreneur, and the CEO of Ginni Media. 

We had a fantastic conversation about entrepreneurship, how challenging and educating can be, and why for some of us looks like the only way out. She shared her experiences in the 9 to 5 world, why she jumped into entrepreneurship, and how she managed to build a consistent culture at Ginni Media, an utterly remote work environment. 

Plus, we talk about the not-enoughness feeling, why this feeling is particularly cruel to women, the importance of giving ourselves permission to rest, and much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• A bit about Ginni's journey into entrepreneurship (4:28)
• What happens when you realize the 9 to 5 life is not for you (6:42)
• Why is it so hard to retain talent these days (10:13)
• The importance of a company's values and checking on them regularly (14:57)
• Who established the benchmark of what is enough? (21:12)
• The magical power of giving ourselves permission to rest (25:54)

Resources:

• Ginni Media website
• The Ginni Show podcast

Connect with Ginni:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Besides asking for help (which is extremely hard), there are other ways to get yourself from a dark place, like being at the service, attaching your life to someone else's in a healthy way, journaling, meditation, or practicing stillness. 

In today's episode, the driving force Nyleeta Logon visits us to talk about worthiness, self-love, and the importance of gathering the courage to ask for help. Nyleeta is the Founder of the Self Worthy Society and host of The So Damn Worthy Podcast. 

Throughout our conversation, Nyleeta shared bits of her past, her own struggle with depression, and those experiences' role in creating the Self Worthy Society. We exchange stories from our past, the lessons they taught us about ourselves, and how we used them to help others. 

Plus, we go through some alternatives for those who want to start working on themselves, like practicing brain dumps or stillness; we learn about why bragging about small wins is essential and so much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

What does comparing ourselves to others do to our heads (6:31)

About Nyleeta's future plans and her intention of conquering the world, one live event at a time (9:36)

Never shy away from asking for help (19:12)

Being at service can be life-saving (23:19)

Simple things you can do to start taking care of yourself (31:37)

Learn how to be comfortable with yourself and with who you are (41:28)

Resources:

The So Damn Worthy Podcast

Connect with Nyleeta:

Instagram

Let's Connect:

WRAR, Inc website

WRAR, Inc Facebook

WRAR, Inc LinkedIn

WRAR with Sparks Instagram

Linktree

Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the main reasons why most people resist asking for help is because it shows vulnerability, and we've been misled into thinking that being vulnerable is a sign of weakness. 

Yet, we are not meant to go through life's journey alone, and interestingly enough, being vulnerable is one of the best ways to realize we are not alone. 

Today, we revisit my conversation with Nancy Kobel, a woman I can't thank enough for having in my orbit. 

Nancy is just as passionate as I am about changing the conversation around shame, guilt, and vulnerability. As the Founder and CEO of Leader Inspired, Nancy is passionate about helping others face and conquer their limiting beliefs, overcome their fears, and tear apart their self-imposed limitations. 

We delve into Nancy's journey into coaching, her past as a NASA Thermal Engineer, and her transition into leadership and coaching. We also chat about the universe's unique way of sending messages, why it is so hard to ask for help, the benefits of being vulnerable, and so much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Nancy's transition from NASA Engineer to coaching (4:32)
• Why Nancy decided to stick with engineering, even when others thought she should change her major (7:48)
• When the universe sends us back to planet earth (16:13)
• About Nancy's self-imposed limiting beliefs and how she conquered them (20:22)
• Being vulnerable is the only way to find out you're not alone (35:01)
• We are in this together (41:42)

Resources:

• Leader Inspired website

Connect with Nancy

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many people think of self-care as a selfish act; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, taking good care of ourselves is the best way to ensure we give others nothing but our best version. 

In this episode, we talk about all things self-care. We go through some of the tips our latest guest Marci Shimoff gifted us with to ensure we take good care of ourselves. I also share some of my favorite practices to pamper myself, energize my days, and get from me the best I have to offer to the world. 

Plus, we highlight the importance of hydration, meditation and breathing techniques, and much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why does taking care of ourselves land as something selfish (3:17)
• Educating yourself is a form of self-love (5:13)
• The mirror exercise (7:47)
• What is box breathing, and what kind of change generates in our bodies (12:05)
• Why you should always keep yourself hydrated (14:01)

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All of us have a happiness setpoint, which is 50% genetics and 40% habits and behavior. The remaining 10% is determined by our circumstances. However, we dedicate most of our time to worrying about and focusing on changing our circumstances, both the less influential and harder to change from scratch. 

Joining us today to talk about how to be happy for no reason is the New York Times Best-selling Author, CEO, I Do Me Retreat Speaker, Transformational Leader, and Authority on Creating Lasting Happiness, Marci Shimoff. 

Our conversation spun around the idea of achieving long-lasting happiness, understanding why we feel miserable sometimes, and how to avoid falling into sadness rabbit holes. Marci shared bits of his story, the breaking point she understood she needed to aid her happiness to thrive, and the seven areas of our lives we must be aware of to equilibrate our happiness set point. 

Marci also shared several actionable items to boost happiness, her experiences with the Dalai Lama, how to create new neural pathways through paying attention to our thoughts, and so much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Born an empath. How it is to grow up feeling the pain in the world (5:26)
• A breaking point in Marci's life (7:23)
• About the happiness set point and how to influence it (11:09)
• We need to get comfortable with bragging and celebrating our wins (15:16)
• Marci's experiences with the Dalai Lama (17:59)
• The seven areas you must improve to enhance your happiness set point (20:39)
• What is the most loving thing you can do for yourself today? (30:16)
• Three tips for creating new neural pathways (35:34)

Resources:

• Marci Shimoff website
• Marci Shimoff books

Connect with Marci:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a huge difference between accepting what life throws your way and giving up. Acceptance is about leaving blaming others and victim mentality aside and making peace with life on life's terms. 

In today's episode, we revisit my conversation with Lynn Burgess, who is one of the reasons why I can walk and dance again after my accident. 

We had a wonderful conversation about the importance of listening to our bodies, how to build trust and confidence through it, and thinking of healing from a holistic approach. 

We go through my healing process after the accident and Lynn's central role in it; we talk about alternative exits when Western medicine gets out of answers and why as long as we have a choice, we have hope. Lynn also reveals yoga's true meaning and purpose, the life-changing power of reclaiming who we are, and so much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• When we look at our life from a place of acceptance (3:52)
• Why we should look at healing as a holistic approach (7:01)
• How determination and emotional support influence healing (8:43)
• Lynn explains the most common misconceptions about yoga and its purpose (13:44)
• It is never late to take baby steps (20:23)
• The body talks. Why we should pay more attention to it (22:05)

Resources:

• Yoga from the Heart website
• Yoga from the Heart Twitter
• Yoga from the Heart Facebook

Connect with Lynn:

• YouTube
• Vimeo

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much of the fear we feel comes from being genuinely worried or traumatized, and how much of it is a byproduct of mass media and social media's instigation? Does fear generate profit? 

In today's episode, while the uncertainty about what Hurricane Ian is capable of consumes us, we pause for a moment to talk about fear. Its origin, the differences between Dr. Albrecht's five types of fear, and how they affect us. 

We also explore why fear is advertised to us almost constantly, how to avoid being paralyzed by it, what we can do if fear wins the battle and freezes us, and so much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Mass media and social media inundate us with fear. Why? (2:46)
• What happens in our body when we are afraid (5:25)
• Why we feel powerless, and how to deal with it (7:14)
• Dr. Albrecht's 5 types of fear (9:28)
• Remember to spare a moment to be grateful (15:41)
• Don't let fear freeze you (18:12)

Let's Connect:

• WRAR, Inc website
• WRAR, Inc Facebook
• WRAR, Inc LinkedIn
• WRAR with Sparks Instagram
• Linktree
• Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first gastric bypass Echo Laymon Pelster had in 1984 didn't work too well for her, so she had a second one. She lost over two hundred pounds this time, but after a few months, she regained over a hundred. After many years of struggle, Echo finally figured it out: obesity has less to do with what people eat and more with what is eating them. Fast forward to the present day, Echo has lost over 770 pounds on the books and maintained her weight for the last 20 years; let's meet her.  

Echo Laymon Pelster is a motivational speaker, trainer, workshop facilitator, and author passionate about helping people who have struggled with weight their whole life overcome their limitations and compulsive habits and build confidence. In her latest book, "The Twisted Love Of Food Addiction," Echo narrates how she looked for shelter on food after the tragic loss of 4 siblings in 4 separate traumatic accidents. She is living proof that no matter what has been said or done to you, you can always return to being the person you were meant to be. 

In this episode, we delve into Echo's struggle with weight and her relentless will to overcome challenges and pursue happiness. She depicts her experiences of having two gastric bypasses, the dark places she lived in during those times, and the tools she discovered to rescue herself from there. We also talk about the power of being fully present, listening more to our bodies than to our heads, and above all things, allowing ourselves to be and making peace with allowing things to happen. 

We also talk about the importance of visiting our inner children more often, letting them be, revisiting happy memories, and much more. 

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Where the mind goes, the body follows (3:31)

A bit about Echo's struggle with weight (4:47)

Learning to live between the two palms. Gratitude and presence (7:20)

When the disorder of our inside screams on the outside (14:20)

How to manage our above or below-the-line behavior (20:02)

Learning to love ourselves and listening to our bodies (25:44)

Resources:

Echo Pelster's website

Book: Echo Laymon Pelster - The Twisted Love Of Food Addiction: Releasing Your Pounds of Pain

Connect with Echo:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Let's Connect:

WRAR, Inc website

WRAR, Inc Facebook

WRAR, Inc LinkedIn

WRAR with Sparks Instagram

Linktree

Book Your Experience at the I Do Me Retreat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.