An Interview With Melissa Llarena

Meet Breeja Larson. She is an American competition swimmer who specializes in the breaststroke and is an Olympic gold medalist. She earned a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She is also a 2013 world champion and nine-time American record holder. This week she joins me to share her road to becoming an Olympian, the importance of having an open mind for accepting advice from unlikely sources, and how she works to have a better understanding of her emotions, recognizing patterns, and determining how she can move forward.  Larson was born in Mesa, Arizona, one of seven sisters. She grew up humbly and decided to do everything in her power to get to the Olympics. Initially, inspired as a little girl by gymnasts; eventually, Breeja found her “lane” in swimming. As a senior in high school, she was the state runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke. She attended Texas A&M University, where she swam for the Texas A&M Aggies swimming and diving team in the National

Mark Sullivan is the Host and Producer behind The Snowboard Project podcast. This week he joins me to discuss how he has been able to leverage his talent during five Olympics for NBC, Eurosport as a sports expert, and now as host and producer. We also discussed strategic partnerships and creating value for all parties involved. Mark shared how he refined his oratory skills in his career as an Olympics and sports announcer. Finally, Mark shows us, through a video presentation, an example of how he continues to grow his skills as an entrepreneur. This episode is full of many insightful lessons from Mark!   Learn more about Mark: Mark Sullivan has had a career in snowboarding media that has spanned more than 30 years. From starting zines to running Snowboarder Magazine and starting SNOWBOARD Magazine. As an Olympic announcer and television host, Mark has also worked on his oratory skills for more than two decades. Key to Mark’s success has been his focus on executing processes in marketing, constant progression,

Matilda Reyes writes urban fantasy, paranormal, and supernatural adventures. Recent works include The Daughters of Night Chronicles which follows the seven illegitimate daughters of the Lord of Night. This week she is my guest. We discussed her decision that it was more important to write and share her self-publishing journey. She also shared how her work as a grant writer informed her ability to tell engaging stories and how she transformed those skills as a sci-fi author. You are going to love this conversation, especially if you are into sci-fi adventures.  Matilda’s series The Vespers Chronicles follows the adventures of Jasper Andrews and her initiation into a paranormal world of beings called The Order of Vespers. She was born and raised in New York City. Later, she relocated to the West Coast. She spent an eight-year stint in Los Angeles. Fast-forward to today, she moved to South Florida, which she's still trying to love. She loves living by the ocean and bookstores and loves supporting indie writers.

Jessica James-Thomson loves yarn! Her Nana taught her to knit as a youngster in Oregon, and there was no stopping her after she learned the basics. Ginger Twist Studio opened its doors in June 2013, and it is the cutest wee shop! Jessica feels very fortunate to have been able to take something she feels so passionate about and turn it into a career. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jess for this podcast.  During our conversation, she opened up about her move from the U.S. to Scotland to make a change. She also offered some great reminders about executing goals with persistence and focus. Is there something you want to bring to fruition? If so, what is your best next step? I hope this episode provides you with some inspiration.  Here is some more background about Jess and her shop: Ginger Twist Studio is located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The shop is adorable. It is stacked to the rafters with delicious yarns, pattern books, and accessories. The offerings include a wide range of beautiful yarns hand-d

Joining me on the podcast this week is Kuniatsu “Coonie” Suzuki. Coonie has been a Buddhist monk since 2002. He once worked in the oldest temple Shitennoji-temple in Japan for 12 years practicing zen meditation. In 2015, Coonie decided to become a freelancing Buddhist monk. Consider our dialogue to be a conversation you would have with a Buddhist monk who sees life more simply and less seriously.  This conversation is broken up into two parts. First, I want to set the stage by sharing with you some of the questions I asked Coonie where he shares his lighthearted thoughts on his career, peppers in some of his Buddhist teachings, and thoughts on meditation through his work as a freelancer Buddhist monk in this digital age. Then, I offer you a chance to sit for a 10-minute meditation using some of the insights that I think merit more thought and time. Here’s some more about Coonie: Coonie provides forest, candle, and morning meditations in Osaka, Japan where he is based. He has freelanced with Airbnb for many ye

Meet Neil Mossberg, CEO of Frank151. Frank151 is an independent publisher that speaks to a global audience of culturally acute creators, agitators, and connoisseurs. Today, Neil joins me to discuss his work at Frank151 and what he thinks it takes to be successful within a corporate system. He shares his no-nonsense attitude and shows us the importance of speaking your mind. Are there instances where you might be self-editing and limiting your authentic voice from being heard? When it comes to decision-making, everyone has a shortcut. Neil shares some of the shortcuts he has made and how self-reflection has helped him make those decisions in some instances. Finally, Neil encourages us to consider this question, "What is worth reviving?" It might be time to reconsider some of the things that have been holding you back or keeping you stuck.   Frank151 is a pocket-sized book magazine that started in the 90s in ATL then and now is still filled with unvarnished "dope stuff" from various cultures, including that of

Punam Kumar Gill is a self-taught, award-winning independent documentary filmmaker, actor, model, and TV host. Today, she joins me on the show to talk about reframing how you think about courage and how she is working to grow the genre of healing journalism. Plus, she shares about her pivot to a documentary career and how she featured her father in her first film. She also leaves us with thoughtful advice, in these times of isolation, pick up the phone and ask your loved ones some of your most burning questions. You might be surprised by what can happen when you lead with your nose and your heart. This conversation with Punam is what we need right now.  Since we can’t go outside, we can go inside (of ourselves) to and expand and grow. In Punam’s debut film, THE LESSON, she turned her Dad’s life story into an award-winning documentary, earning critical acclaim and garnering numerous awards and official selections at film festivals throughout North America and India. The story centered on her father, a monk-lik

Marina Shifrin is a comedy writer who created an interpretive dance resignation video garnering millions of views. She has seen success throughout her professional career, including having worked on Talk Show the Game Show (TruTV), Problematic (Comedy Central), Comedy Central Presents: ClusterFest (duh, Comedy Central), Wizard School Dropout (Eko) and she has written on a handful of pilots you've never seen. Previously, Marina was an Emmy-award winning digital producer on @midnight (Comedy Central, again). That's her resume, but what got her on my radar was her book 30 Before 30. In this episode, we discuss Marina's book 30 Before 30, a collection of essays detailing thirty things she wanted to do before the age of thirty and ranging in scope from the simple (Ride A Bike Over the Brooklyn Bridge, Donate Hair) to the life-changing (Move to A Different Country, Become Famous). Each story shows readers that we don't all have it figured out, and that's okay, even if you are way over thirty.  Marina also offers in

What would your future self say about your insecurities or fears? This week, Melissa Joy Kong, founder, and CEO of Iceberg Content Marketing joins me to discuss understanding the core of who you are, defining your wants and needs, and how to utilize time blocking techniques to prioritize what matters most in your life.    Melissa and I recorded this interview before the COVID-19 pandemic. I decided to share it during this moment of isolation and uncertainty. Why? Well, Melissa shares insights and wisdom that we can all use right now. We didn't realize at the time what would be coming nor how so many of us would be spending time isolated from others. It is with this context I want to share our conversation. Melissa revealed an exercise you can use right now, which will help you feel proud and accomplished during this pandemic.  Have a notebook next to you as you listen to today's conversation, you'll want to use it for self-reflection. Tune in to hear Melissa's thoughts pertaining to: Melissa Joy shares a boo

Diane Bell is an award-winning screenwriter and director, who growing up didn’t think that was possible. In this episode, she shares how she overcame personal and professional obstacles in order to become a screenwriter. She describes how affirmations helped her, what she learned about embracing creativity (and how you can embrace yours), as well as, talks about how to stand out from the crowd, especially if you are in a sea of like-minded professionals. Diane also leaves us with some insightful and profound thoughts and questions, like, “How far are you willing to go to make it happen?” Diane’s first feature, OBSELIDIA, premiered in Dramatic Competition at Sundance, where it won two awards, and went on to play at festivals around the world and be nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. Her second film, BLEEDING HEART, a drama starring Jessica Biel and Zosia Mamet, premiered at Tribeca, and is widely available on Amazon Prime and Hulu. Diane’s most recent feature, OF DUST AND BONES, has also been feature

Meet Paul Musho. Paul was my client, a former GE executive who took a leap to become a franchisee, use his transferable skills, and grow his cryotherapy business. He had previously worked for thirty years in big corporate conglomerates, including Union Carbide, Krupp, Emerson, and GE. During this time, he did everything from engineering, sales, development, operations, and general management, and also during his tenure, I had the opportunity to coach Paul. When GE left New Jersey (NJ), USA in 2017, he decided to pivot and start his own business and use literally everything he had learned in his 30 years of work experience including its best-in-class practices and leadership methods! Paul started out as a client going to cryotherapy in 2015 to help with pain from working out and wanting to play as much golf as he could. Cryotherapy allowed him to do this as the pain was reduced after each workout and allowed him to play quicker after a workout. As a happy cryotherapy customer, he decided to make cryotherapy hi

Caitlyn Elf is a Registered Dietitian and working mom with a goal to take the stress out of mealtime. Because it is essential to think about how we can be healthy, even in uncertain times, I invited Cait to be a guest on my podcast. Cait shared some ways to make eating a learning experience and her philosophy about intuitive eating. She also talked about her career pivot from digital marketing to a nutritionist. When it comes to you and the next phase of your career, deciding what you want to do next and finding the courage to do so, well, those are the hard moments. But as you will hear, it took Cait three years to leap, but it is possible.  Caitlyn’s brand, Cait’s Plate, started way back in 2009 as a way for Cait to share her passion for wellness. When Cait began her blog, she was working in digital marketing in NYC, and while she loved being creative, she found herself more and more excited to work on her blog each day. It was then that Cait decided to leave her full-time job and pursue a degree in nutriti

David Roberts is a multi-award-winning and New York Times best-selling illustrator who has earned great acclaim for his distinctive style. While the world comes together to fight a global pandemic, schools have closed, and the public activities that we are used to experiencing with our children are all off-limits. David joined me to share his insightful thoughts about how to interact with our children during this odd time in our lives. He offered this wonderful piece of advice too: allow your children to lead you with their imagination, and pick up on the points they are giving you about the world and about life. David also shared how he uses thoughtful and constructive feedback in his work, his love of fashion, and the art of storytelling through his illustrations. David was born in Liverpool and studied fashion design at university in Manchester. After graduating, he worked as a milliner and a fashion illustrator but always felt his true calling was in children’s books. David finally realized his dream when

Originally from a small rural town in Georgia, Phaidra Knight, for nearly 18 years, traveled the globe as a professional rugby player, establishing herself as one of the premier players in the sport. In this episode, she shared the many unique experiences she had both on and off the field. And she explained how each athletic opportunity offered a new perspective and made her a better athlete. She also shared her passion for youth leadership and reminded us that even if we can impact one child out, that’s one person who we have helped shape the trajectory of their life. Every single person deserves equality and the opportunity to feel limitless, especially children.  Phaidra has made three appearances in the Rugby World Cup and was selected as the top player in the world for her position in 2002 and 2006. In 2010, she was named the US Rugby Player of the Decade. Also, in 2010, she became an avid CrossFit competitor and, in 2013, a member of the United States Developmental Bobsled Team. And in November 2017, sh

Corey Hester is an off-grid adventurer. Today, you'll hear how Corey has been able to reimagine the mastering of his photography skills even given today's pandemic constraints. His experiences help us to think about the skills we can continue to master in a new way from the comfort of our home. There is possibility even in a situation where you are limited. We also explore the idea of widening perspectives when it comes to career options and trajectory in the face of the unknown; what ways can you apply your existing knowledge and expertise to fill in the gaps? Finally, Corey reminds us of what life can be like if we use our imagination to explore new sights, sounds, and experiences that surround us.  You can see some of Corey’s off-grid moments on Instagram. Just visit @ofalaska and you’ll see his enthusiasm for wild animals and sky light shows. Beyond his love of photography, Corey was once the Executive Director of the Alaska Airmen’s Association which is Alaska's largest aviation non-profit organization.

I met Mikael Lund at a Tony Robbins event years ago. Mikael is the CEO / Founder of Human Gardening, a drug, alcohol, gaming, codependency treatment center based in Sweden. Amidst the global pandemic, many are finding themselves in isolation. During our conversation, Mikael helps us to think about the risk of addictions, coping mechanisms, and shame in times of isolation and stress. Addiction is agnostic; anyone can become an addict, whether you are wealthy, poor, or in-between. If this episode is something you feel you can use right now, in a moment of stress or uncertainty, listen. I am excited to be able to bring this conversation to you today. Mikeal is one of Sweden's foremost experts and continues to be an active dependency therapist with 25 years of experience in this area. You can also find his wisdom online via his content, whereby he educates people around the world about how to cope with shame, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and the lessons he has learned through his rehabilitation journey. Michael's

Cameron Schmidt calls himself "the Human Catalyst." He has built online and offline communities for a long list of impressive and world-class creators including Jesse Itzler via his Build Your Life Resume Online Course as well as Alex Banayan the author of a best-selling book The Third Door. One of the things that stuck out to me during our conversation is Cameron's idea of life being a training ground to become your ultimate best self. Instead of trying to do the things you are good at, he urges you to ask, "Why not allow yourself to try new things?" You might be embarrassed in the process of exploring, but it will be worth it.  Along with building communities, Cameron is in the business of being a catalyst for change and hope in others. Through his example, he wanted to inspire others when he decided to run solo a 100 miles non-race, which he finished because of the messages of support and phone calls from friends. As a catalyst for someone else, Cameron voluntarily helped the former Writer at Large for Esq

Meet Luis-Miguel Caraballo. Prior to our interview, he had been going by the name “Louie Blaka.” Yet, from this moment forward, he wants the world to know him for who he is: an artist with Puerto Rican roots who is here to inspire and provide a roadmap for future full-time artists. You can see his epic art around the world including street art murals throughout cities in New Jersey, Miami, Brazil, and Croatia. Deeply influenced by his city roots in Elizabeth, NJ, and inspired by a personal friend he lost early in life - his artwork makes mention of the phrase “wake up and smell the roses.” A former teacher who at the peak of his career decided to create art as a full-time artist, Luis Miguel is currently on his journey towards making art history. His work has been featured in various galleries, exhibitions and publications including the New York Times Best Seller Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk. Listeners and the world, for the first time publicly under his real name here is Luis-Miguel Caraballo. Listen to

So excited about my conversation with an entrepreneur who happens to be one of my classmates from business school. Meet Hans Reichstetter. We both attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and it’s been over 10 years now.  He and his twin brother Karl created the Buffoonery Factory LLC around 8 years ago. He is currently the Co-Head of Idiocy under the Buffoonery Factory. Here’s a bit about this business. It is comprised of two apparel lines a Griz Coat line of faux-fur costumes which have made a cameo in the Real World as well as in a recent Superbowl VISA Ad this year.  The second is a brand that I loved as an 80s kid called Freezy Freakies essentially a ski glove that transforms before your very eyes when in a cold environment. The third business is a bit “more serious,” it’s called the Rumble Jar -- it is a better cold brew coffee maker. Prior to this business venture, Hans was a part-time CFO of a bike start-up company, worked in the energy efficiency space, and once upon a time worked in banking

In 2016, I attended Sree’s Social Media Weekend #SMWKND in NYC. As a participant, I felt like I was guzzling water from a fire hydrant. Sree along with other powerful digital thought leaders were on fire. They were helping attendees uncover what was next and what should be ignored pertaining to social media and its otherwise overwhelming technologies. In a nutshell, I implemented several learnings from that memorable experience and was delighted when he agreed to be interviewed. Sree taught for 20-years at Columbia Journalism School. He also worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the City of New York both as a Chief Digital Officer. He was named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2015 as well as the world's most influential Chief Digital Officer by CDO Club in 2016. Today, Sree is back in the classroom at Stony Brook University in NY and has embraced the new era of consultancy work by co-founding Digitmentors a new kind of digital consultancy firm that operates worldwi