Chasing Dreams With Aimee J.

You can’t just be hustling all the time, you also need to take time to rest. We’ve been glorifying the hustle culture for far too long that taking a break seems unacceptable. In this episode, Aimee tackles a topic that we don’t normally discuss - taking a break. For the longest time, we’ve been taught that hustling is the only way to achieve our dreams. We didn’t realize that too much hustle leads to burnout and not becoming the best version of ourselves. There should be no shame in taking a break, it’s also a form of self-care. You spark more creative juices if you realize that your true power lies in having a rest.  THE IMPORTANCE OF REST The hustle culture has been around for years but now we see a positive shift. People are more accepting of the thought that rest is needed if we want to function better. As Aimee mentioned, we’re slowly learning that “hustling isn’t always the answer.” This comes from a personal experience as Aimee also learned the value of having rest.  Rest helps bring your ene

We’re halfway through the year, it seems that days went by so fast. Some of us feel like not having enough time to process everything we’re going through. Some days we feel okay, others not so much. But you have to remember, it’s okay to not be okay.  In this episode, we have another inspiring discussion about it’s okay to not be okay. Aimee shares that for the past couple of months, she’s not feeling good. A lot of things happened, she lost some loved ones and this puts her in a space where she felt not okay. During these days, Aimee didn’t feel like herself. She didn’t feel motivated, excited, or happy to do the things that normally give her joy. These may be the result of creative burnout and unfortunate life events. Aimee shares her story and journey towards acceptance that there will be days that we don’t feel okay, and we’re allowed to experience and learn from this. WE DON’T TALK ABOUT NOT BEING OKAY Have you noticed that we don’t talk about not being okay? It seems like a prohibited topic in

For some, getting into the entertainment industry is like having that impossible dream that’s never going to happen. And the perpetual question everybody’s asking - how to make it in Hollywood? In this episode, Tim Tortora tells how he conquered Hollywood and made a living out of it. He shares some of the biggest lessons that only the industry can impart and why building a connection is the number one factor for success in this arena. WHAT DID YOUNG TIM WANT TO BE WHEN HE GREW UP? With both parents having their own businesses, it’s somewhat expected for Tim to follow their path. But it was during a drive around studios that young Tim realized what he wanted to do in life.  Although the subtle implication was he was going to take over the family’s business as he grows older, Tim vividly remembers telling his dad, “I don’t want to do what you do, I want to work in Hollywood.” As an undergraduate, he had a job in a recording studio as a tape operator. He eventually had a degree in advertising, and he just n

The time used to invest in yourself reflects on the quality of relationships you engage in.  In this episode, Carolyn Yates shares her expertise and advice for people struggling with their mental health. Our mental health condition is often affected by a lot of factors; the people around us, social media, and personal pressures but the best way to deal with this is to prioritize self-care. WHAT DID YOUNG CAROLYN WANT TO BE WHEN SHE GREW UP? Carolyn wasn’t sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. But as a young kid, she’s always been fascinated with how people think and behave. She explored a few different routes, but eventually, she became a psychology major in college.  Through this, her interest in the human personality further developed. Then she finished her grad school and became a therapist. Although her journey started out with not being sure about what to be when she becomes older, there was a specific interest she kept in her heart that lead her to who she is today. Carolyn’s advice for

Mental health is not something we openly talk about and yet it greatly impacts how we live our lives. A lot of us perceive mental health as an essential topic we should be talking about. However, we all know that it’s difficult to take action when we suffer from mental health issues. In this episode, in celebration of Mental Health Awareness month, Aimee tackles a topic close to her heart and something she supports fully - mental health. Through this episode, Aimee shares how she handles mental stress and recommendations for people undergoing the same experience. It’s not easy to discuss mental health struggles, but Aimee believes that how we handle it in the present times influences the next generation. When we normalize these conversations, we also create safe spaces where people can freely talk and look for help regarding their conditions.  THE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH We may not recognize it, but there is a rising need to talk about mental health. As Aimee stated, “we millennials should under

We tend to think that life is hard, and it is but what we fail to realize is that we’re capable of improving our lives, we have the power to pivot and deal with hard things. In this episode, Aimee explores something that she’s always been afraid to do - speak to her listeners directly. She shares her thoughts and insights about various topics and this episode, it’s about the hard things in life and why we should be empowered to handle them. Life is not always going to be a smooth ride, there will be bumps ahead but when you choose to look at it positively, you’re bound to enjoy and appreciate it more. THE DANGERS OF COMPARISONITIS We’ve all heard the term midlife crisis, society expects us to undergo a dilemma as we enter a certain age. But for Aimee, it’s better to call it “comparisonitis.” We live through the dangers of constantly comparing our lives with others, but this can be cured with time and good practice.  Comparisonitis normally happens when we don’t feel secure with our lives or when we’re no

Tap into yourself, figure out who you really are, and embrace that.  In this episode, Sylvia and Drew Nixon, share the value of knowing who you really are and walking in your purpose. Life can get too noisy that we often miss the very thing that we would like to do, but we are given the opportunity to recognize our strength and learn the process of chasing our dreams.  WHAT YOUNG DREW AND SYLVIA WANTED TO BE It’s always an interesting question when someone asks us what our dreams are when we were younger. Some of us may have varying dreams like Drew or one specific dream that will stay all throughout like Sylvia. Young Sylvia always knew she wanted to be an actress or a talk show host. She was even considered to be most likely to have a talk show like Oprah in her senior yearbook. Life eventually took a different turn for Sylvia but deep in her heart, she still has that dream.  While for Drew, he was (on his own terms) “all over the place but not indecisive” when it comes to his dreams. He

We always believe that we have time to do things. We focus too much on the future that we forget to enjoy the present.  In this episode, Aimee shares a personal experience with loss, grief, and the learnings she got from losing two people close to her heart. It is during the dark moments in our lives we realize that life shouldn't be taken for granted, and we need to make the most of it. THE PERSONAL EFFECTS OF WORLD-CHANGING EVENTS A few months ago, a friend of Aimee's passed away suddenly. This event threw her off, not even sure how, when, or what is happening. Then, another family member has passed around two and a half weeks ago.  These personal and out-of-the-body experiences have brought her to a point of reflection. It felt weird because as she was getting updates from a family member fighting for her life in the hospital, everybody else was going about their normal, daily routines. With these situations, Aimee had a taste of reality that our lives can end instantly, and yet we still manage t

Chasing our dreams will demand persistence to learn and explore various options and oftentimes, it will call for multi-passion experiences.  My good friend Daree Allen Nieves is back on Chasing Dreams. She was on episode 77 and now she’s here to tell us about her multi-passions. Daree has been doing a wide variety of things in her life and she encourages people to do the same. She shares how it helped her relationships, perspectives, and life in general. ONE THING THAT CHANGED IN DAREE’S LIFE & SHE’S HAPPY ABOUT Looking back on the five years since Daree has graced the Chasing Dreams podcast, she’s asked about one thing that has changed in her life that she has no complaints about. In a heartbeat, Daree answered, “I am allowing myself to do things or not do them and be okay with it.” She used to have a perfectionist mindset where everything she does should be excellent. Although this is perfectly okay, Daree realized that she’s become so rigid and there’s no more room for flexibility and enjoyment.&n

Can you believe that in this day and age of technological advancements and intense social awareness, there are still norms and stereotypes that don’t serve us well? In this episode, Aimee shares with us why she didn’t come back straight away. She did a lot of experimenting and along came her realizations about life. She was a victim of societal norms and stereotypes and through this episode, she hopes to create a difference and call for a challenge so that other people will not experience the same. BEING A VICTIM OF SOCIETAL NORMS & STEREOTYPES Aimee mentioned that she was a victim of societal norms and stereotypes, and she added that “a lot of us are, and we don’t realize it until later on in life.” We may realize that we’ve always wanted to do something but are afraid that we’ll disappoint other people or our parents. There are also instances where we don’t want to do something but out of pressure, we engage in it. We are led to believe that we want something but if we look within, we want to do somethi

Are you prepared to break through stereotypes and traditions to chase your dreams? We welcome the second season of Chasing Dreams with two guests who can give us a new perspective on how we pursue our goals. In this episode, I get to chat with the duo from JAM & Philly, James, and Philly Mathew. We’re family, and I’ve seen the struggles, how they follow their passion, and their journey to becoming successful music artists and record label owners. YOUNG JAM & PHILLY  Growing up in a typical Indian household, Philly mentioned that his dream was to become a doctor or an engineer. He was so obsessed with building Lego robotics and programming that he thought he would eventually go into this career field in the future. While JAM is not sure whether he had a dream job or not, but one thing is certain, he always had a passion for making things and organizing people. He was a member of clubs. He and his friends made a treehouse together. JAM always knew that he loved gathering people around an idea. 

After a few months off and hearing the asks, we're bringing Chasing Dreams back in 2022. Figured sharing the news on my birthday would be appropriate. Make sure you're subscribed so you can see when we return with Season 2! CONNECT WITH AIMEE https://aimeej21.com/ (Website)  https://yourpersonalhypeman.com/ (Your Personal Hype Man) Connect with Aimee on https://instagram.com/aimeej21 (Instagram) Subscribe to Aimee’s https://youtube.com/aimeej21 (YouTube Channel) https://podcasterhq.net/ (Podcaster ) https: //youtu.be/sYI7jhJFHa0

We’ve reached the last episode of Chasing Dreams. 250 amazing episodes. 250 stories. So many lessons learned. When I started this podcast, I never imagined getting to 250 episodes. I thought 50 episodes would be good. Then I thought a hundred would be okay. But I was blessed with amazing guests, listeners, and a team to keep going.   Today, we reach the final episode of Chasing Dreams. In saying goodbye, I wanted to share with you this journey, how I got here, where I’m going and my fellow dream chasers and guests’ top five pieces of advice.  ENDLESS GRATITUDE I definitely can’t end this podcast without saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this journey possible.  Thank you to all the amazing guests who were so honest in sharing their stories. When I started this podcast, I probably had around 13 names on the list and they were all my friends. They were people who were doing something amazing with their life because they were happy for themselves. They were living their life fu

How can you better prepare yourself to chase your dreams?  As we enter the penultimate episode of Chasing Dreams, I try to make sure that I’m bringing you the best guests I can. In this episode, I get to chat with experienced licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Connecticut, Julie Hall - who also happens to be my cousin. I know her well and wasn’t wrong with bringing her on the second to the last episode of the show to share her knowledge and expertise.  YOUNG JULIE As a young girl, Julie’s dad was a mechanical engineer. He would do a lot of drawing which inspired her to become an architect. But life happened and her path changed. She went to college for engineering but pretty quickly knew that this path wasn’t where she wanted to land. So after college, she got a job in corporate as a programmer. She then moved into product management on the web side.  Working in different sectors in corporate, having experience in government, non-profits, and start-up, Julie has had vast experience when

We all have the power of choice.  But some of us think otherwise. If you don’t believe you have a choice because of the stories that others have put in your mind, ask yourself what will you choose today to start unwiring that lie, so that you can live your life and not that story you’re telling yourself.  In this episode of Chasing Dreams, we get to chat with the amazing Tommy Breedlove on how, through conscious actions and inner work, you can build and live a legendary life.  Tommy Breedlove is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of the book, Legendary, and Atlanta-based business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regularly featured keynote speaker at global events. He serves clients and audiences by empowering them to build and live Legendary Lives. He guides them to build a lasting legacy, work in their zone of brilliance, obtain financial confidence, and live with meaning and balance.  YOUNG TOMMY Tommy grew up fairly humble on the south side of Carolina, wh

We all have our own unique potential in this world. It’s up to us to find it and live up to it. Because if we aren’t living life to its full potential, then we are missing out.  Today’s guest is someone who shares so much value on how stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to reach your full potential.  Andrea Parker is a former police detective turned human potential coach. As an accredited International Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Andrea works with high-performing women, helping them to release the limiting beliefs that are holding them back from their greatness, and empowering them to live their most extraordinary lives. YOUNG ANDREA As a young child, Andrea loved asking questions, whether to herself or others. With her inquisitive mind, she knew she wanted to become either a teacher or a police officer. Innately, she loved teaching. The dream of becoming a police officer was because of her curious mind.  Fast forward to the start of Andrea’s career in police college, she

It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to. What do you answer to?  This is Jewel’s favourite quote and the questions she asks her guests all the time. It makes you define yourself and not have anyone else define you. This time, I was able to ask her the same question.  For Jewel, she answers to who God defines her. She answers to being worthy of belonging in the community and to the personification of her name - Jewel - a rare and precious person.  JEWEL’S JOURNEY Jewel and I met sometime around September. We just hit it off at the first meeting. She has been around the world and lived life. It’s the humility she has and the care for others that emanates from her.  Her podcast, Let’s Talk About This Offline, began last year during the COVID lockdown. Being an avid podcast listener, she kept thinking to herself that she could also be a podcaster because she had so much to say.   Let’s Talk About This Offline came about because it was a phrase she always heard at work an

TRIGGER WARNING: Topics covered may elicit strong emotions.  Suicide is a large and growing public health problem and it has been for a while. But with COVID-19, the numbers have seen a large spike. According to the World Health Organization, almost 800,000 people in the world die by suicide every year. “For each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. Suicide and attempts have a huge ripple effect on families, friends, communities, and societies.” But there is something that we can all do to prevent this public health problem.  Our guest for today is mental health comedian, Frank King. Frank was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. He’s fought a lifetime battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, turning that long dark journey of the soul into 6 TEDx Talks to help others. For Frank, suicide is not a new topic. Depression and suicide run in his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count. But with help, he was able to overcome this hea

March is Women’s History month. During this celebration, the media usually focuses on Oprah, Michelle Obama or other famous women in history. But today’s guest should also be one of the many women to be honoured this Women’s History Month In this episode of Chasing Dreams, we get to speak with Maaden Eshete Jones, the founder of Love, Maaden. Maaden is a wellness advocate, story teller, and lover of celebrations. She believes that community begets fearlessness, and that gathering around the table with others to share in real and vulnerable conversation is an act of self love.  ABOUT MAADEN Madi, as she is known to her friends, holds a Master of Public Health with a focus in Social and Behavioural Health. The driving idea behind her company -- Love, Maaden -- is to provide women, particularly mothers, with the tools needed to understand and heal from life's inevitable challenges. She launched Love, Maaden as a means to encourage others to intentionally unplug and meet their people around a table. Madi is

Are you a glass half-empty or half-full sort of person? What if there was another way to see it? That is, that the glass is refillable.  No matter what you go through in life, you have the power to choose to fill and refill your life with what makes you happy. Filling your life with happiness starts from within.  Today’s guest is the best-selling author of One Happy Thought at a Time: 30 Days to a Happier You - Rochelle Gapere. She teaches readers how to live a life that fulfills and engages them at every level. Through shared personal stories, anecdotes and life lessons, her book teaches readers how to become a happier version of themselves despite life's inevitable challenges. In her book, she shares life lessons that will empower readers to make happiness-enhancing decisions each day. Happiness looks different for everyone. For some it may be being at peace with who you are. For others, it may be having a secure network of friends and a family who accept you unconditionally. Others may find