Zen and Waffles

Listen to Lindsey Gleason share her amazing story of how she brings mindfulness into her unique business where she tied three industries together: sports, travel, and education.

In this episode Linds and Melanie talk about the power of the universe, the importance of investing in yourself (especially now that we're home and living in a digital world!!), and pivoting towards a growth mindset. We talk about working through our limiting beliefs, the work that we have done together in the last five months, and the steps to manifesting the life you have always dreamt of!

Finally, we talk all about entrepreneurship, especially relating to Lindsey's story of building her own empire. You don't want to miss this, there is so much value in this episode. 

Thank you in advance for your support, it means more than you know <3

Do you think you're an expert at multitasking? Are you not working as efficiently as you could be? No matter how much you try not to, do you get stuck in that instagram black hole you can't stop scrolling through?

In this episode, Roberto Lagares joins Melanie as they discuss productivity hacks, entrepreneurship, being a creative, multitasking vs single tasking, and the struggles of being your own boss. Finally, you'll understand the importance of creating an optimal work environment that is conducive to a more effective work flow. 

Thank you so much in advance for your support! It means more than you know <3

Toren Reaves is without a doubt the most badass, hilarious, and kind hearted Amateur MMA fighter, entrepreneur, and husband.

He joins Melanie as they discuss embracing change and being uncomfortable everyday in order to grow & build character. They go into the topic of prioritizing being mindful and enjoying the now, and how he got so damn good at embracing life head on.

Toren gives us the rundown of his own journey through fitness, marriage, and entrepreneurship, and how he used other peoples' low expectations & doubts of him to light a fire under him and prove them wrong. 

Finally, they discuss their own short comings and how they work through those, as well as relationships and marriage. This episode is full of useful gems, you don't want to miss this!

Emily Morrow is the ultimate boss babe, mom, as well as the co-founder of Step Out Buffalo, which is the ultimate guide to dining and entertainment in Buffalo & all around WNY.

In this episode, Emily joins Melanie as they discuss Emily's pillars of wellness, the journey of Step Out Buffalo (how it came about, how it's evolved, etc.), and her own experiences through self development and entrepreneurship. They talk about lessons from the Black Lives Matter movement and the silver linings COVID has brought to business. Emily even curated a list of black owned businesses locally owned in Buffalo. Finally, Emily gives out killer business tips and talks about the importance of story telling. 

Thank you so much for you support<3

Erik Prophet is a badass coach in the fitness industry, as well as the owner of Buffalo Pro Fit, a banging clothing company local to Buffalo, NY.

Erik joins Melanie as they discuss different styles of training, specifically pivoting your focus from aesthetics to performance. They also discuss why you should try power training or athletic training, as well as how it benefits the general population. They go on to discuss Erik's pillars of wellness, myths around feeling sore, and how the focus of training should be feeling good, instead of looking good.

If you liked this episode please rate and write a review! Thank you so much for you support <3

Brian Costello is a licensed social worker and substance abuse counselor local to Buffalo, NY. I love his approach to mental health because he takes into consideration how the whole mind and body are connected.

On today's episode Brian joins Melanie to discuss all things mental health. They talk about mindset, the pandemic, trauma, PTSD, and ways to treat these things through therapy, like EMDR.

Thank you so much for your support! <3

Joe Siracuse joins Melanie as they discuss Joe's experiences and learning important life lessons from the time he graduated high school, becoming a traveling carny, becoming an underwater welder, to then become the project engineer for one of the biggest defense contractors.

They talk about the importance of pivoting and building momentum, imposter syndrome, and deciding what the correct choice to make is. They finally go on to chat about being able to roast yourself, the notion of success vs happiness, and how dieting is a short term fix and not a long term solution. Joe and Melanie end the episode talking about what they have learned so far in 2020.

This episode is full of life lessons and inspiration, you don't want to miss it!!

Thank you so much for your support, it means more than you know <3

On today's episode, Melanie goes solo as she discusses the many things that currently cause living a healthy lifestyle to be daunting af. She debunks so many common myths around fitness, nutrition, body image, and supplements - this episode is going to blow your mind.

Especially with celebrating July 4th this weekend, you might be feeling like you need to cut out all "bad" foods in order to fix the entire bag of Doritos and burgers you ate... but listen to this episode and you'll realize how simple & sustainable it can be! If you fall off the wagon and think that you need to go to the extremes to "fix" it, this episode is for you. 

Keep in mind this episode talks a ton about losing weight and changing body composition, which is something you absolutely DO NOT need to do. You are beautiful the way that you are, and you do not need to change a thing. 

Thank you so much for listening, your support means more than you know <3

In episode 7 of Zen & Waffles, Zanna Barth joins Melanie as they discuss all things home buying. Zanna is an absolute boss babe killing it in the real estate game at 716 Realty Group! If home buying feels daunting af, then this episode is 100% for you. 

This episode is FILLED with tangible tools you can use today to start the home buying process. Zanna and Melanie start out by laying out the steps to take from getting pre-approved for a loan, picking a location, determining your budget, and how much to save for closing costs on your house. 

They go on to talk about things to consider before buying a home, how a pandemic affects the housing market, and things you might not already know. Finally, Zanna debunks myths that are commonly heard from people of all different circumstances and backgrounds. 

Thank you so much in advance for your support! It means more than you know <3

On episode 6 of Zen & Waffles, Candice Cinquino joins Melanie as they discuss the practice of yoga and mindfulness. Candice starts out by debunking the myth of yoga giving you control, and goes on to explain how instead, it gives you the tools and skills to navigate emotion and have compassion for them. They also chat about how to know if you're "doing it right" (yoga), and what you're supposed to feel and think during a yoga practice.

Candice goes on to talk about benefits of breathe work and meditation, and even leads us through some breathe work techniques. Finally, the two of them talk about being in flow and becoming the compassionate witness of who you are, in order to become who you want to be.

Candice is one of the most amazing people - she is not only an amazing yoga instructor in Buffalo, but she also has a passion for leading conversations that push people out of their comfort zone as a way to create the conditions for real growth. 

"Yoga teaches you to love your body and be good with what is." - Candice Cinquino

Thank you so so much for your support. I appreciate it more than you know <3