Peace and Possibilities

For my guest this week on The Peace and Possibilities Podcast, exercise is not a chore, it's a passion.

As we talked about Sara McSpedon’s career journey to becoming an entrepreneur with Mayweather Fitness, one of the keys to her success is that her team keeps her going; they are her support system.

Doing any job well and digging in and asking questions are a few recommendations for anyone trying to make it in their career. I'd say this applies to life too.  Doing any and every job well is something you'll never regret.

One of her best tips for success and leadership is this: if you have a passion, than you'll be successful. Though each one of us has a different vision of success.

We also talked about leading by example, always.  Show others how to be/act/lead, by being, acting, and leading that way yourself.

And whether you are officially leading a team or not, surround yourself with people that elevate you.  This is possible no matter what your role, in your career and in your personal life.

Finally, Sara asks: do you have a healthy practice? Find a regular practice that makes you healthier each day. It could be exercise, meditation, or eating better.  Even daily gratitude (especially daily gratitude), will make you healthier.

Whether you already know your passion or not, are living your dream or not, or simply can't figure your life out yet, don't give up on the daily happiness that's truly possible, every step of the way.

More about Sara:

Sara V. McSpedon, Franchise Owner, Chicago

+ B.S. Television, Radio, Film Management Minor: Business Administration

+ MBA, Finance: Fordham University

+ MTV Networks, Sales & Marketing (1998- 2007)

+ Pops for Champagne, Managing Partner (2007-2018)

+ Orangetheory Fitness Coach, Chicago & Suburbs (2014-2018)

+ Mayweather B+F River North & North Shore, Owner (2019- present)

+ A.C.E. Certified Fitness Instructor

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

My guest this week on The Peace and Possibilities Podcast started out as a consultant, because, as she said when she learned what it meant, "I like that".

Stephanie Hart loved sales and saw what she could be, but she wanted to do her own thing and have no constraints.

So after working hard for years, she eventually created Pineapple Coconut cake and people responded with fervor.

Well, the path wasn't actually that simple, as you can imagine. It never usually is, but it's still our path. And we must endure to get to the other side.

From the many challenges Stephanie faced to finally opening her bakery, she has definitely endured a lot to get where she is.

Her advice to you? Ask yourself "do you REALLY want to do this?"

And something she and I believe with all of our hearts:

How you think impacts EVERYTHING!

Understanding this is paramount to your success!

Finally, from Stephanie's many words of wisdom: "All of my glasses are rose colored - what's the alternative?"

More about Stephanie:

In 2022 She is celebrating 20 years in business, now with a location in Navy Pier, and preparing to renovate the newly acquired Cupid candies factory, that now house Brown Sugar Bakeries new candy line “Life is Sweet” and being nominated in the  2019 James Beard award for “Outstanding Pastry Chef”

Stephanie feels strongly about building community and sharing our culture with the world, which created the mission statement: We make delicious products.  Celebrating our culture by serving our community to further cultivate and define the best of our experience, one amazing bite at a time.

Brown Sugar Bakery, Chicago

www.brownsugarbakerychicago.com

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Is this weekly newsletter typically about fitness? Not really. Not physical fitness anyway.

But when fitness and health impact your peace and happiness, then of course it relates to peace and possibilities.  Which, incidentally, is almost all of the time.

My guest this week, Erin Stutland, is full of great ideas to get your life and body moving in the right direction.

The first is to consider which core values you were born with.

Then strive to align those values with your passions.  Sounds simple, I know.  It actually is, if you get quiet for a few minutes and just ask yourself a few questions.

Then - and this is the most important part - go for it! 

Take those risks to get what you want. How else will you get there?

And when you are rejected, and you will be, ask yourself "what's the learning or growing I need to do?"

And, as Erin so beautifully put it, obsession does not equal a solution. 

Obsessing about a problem, worrying about it, stressing about it, is not the same as figuring out the solution.  If it was, stress and worry would always lead to peace and clarity.  But it doesn't.  It leads to more stress.

And as many wise people have told us: failure is a part of success, not the opposite of success.

Remember, when taking risks and trying to figure it all out:

As Brad Yates says: whenever we make a choice, two outcomes are possible; neither is final or permanent.

Decide, take the risk, maybe get rejected. And then choose something else.  Get used to this; this is life!

More about Erin:

Erin Stutland is a renowned author, a mind-body wellness expert, CEO and mom. She was the host and life-style coach of Z Living’s cable series, Altar’d which was nominated for a Real Screen award alongside Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday.

Stutland’s best-selling book, Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want through Mindful Movement, (Hay House) explores her proprietary approach to creating meaningful change by harnessing all the body’s mental, physical, and spiritual energy through a series of stories, journaling exercises, meditations and movement.

Her on-demand app, The Movement helps users all over the world incorporate simple self-care practices that include mindful workouts, meditations and her signature Soul Strolls. She has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, People.com, Fox News, Glamour Magazine and more.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/erin.stutland/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/EStutland https://erinstutland.com/book/

https://erinstutland.com/the-movement/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

Is this weekly newsletter typically about fitness? Not really. Not physical fitness anyway.

But when fitness and health impact your peace and happiness, then of course it relates to peace and possibilities.  Which, incidentally, is almost all of the time.

My guest this week, Erin Stutland, is full of great ideas to get your life and body moving in the right direction.

The first is to consider which core values you were born with.

Then strive to align those values with your passions.  Sounds simple, I know.  It actually is, if you get quiet for a few minutes and just ask yourself a few questions.

Then - and this is the most important part - go for it! 

Take those risks to get what you want. How else will you get there?

And when you are rejected, and you will be, ask yourself "what's the learning or growing I need to do?"

And, as Erin so beautifully put it, obsession does not equal a solution. 

Obsessing about a problem, worrying about it, stressing about it, is not the same as figuring out the solution.  If it was, stress and worry would always lead to peace and clarity.  But it doesn't.  It leads to more stress.

And as many wise people have told us: failure is a part of success, not the opposite of success.

Remember, when taking risks and trying to figure it all out:

As Brad Yates says: whenever we make a choice, two outcomes are possible; neither is final or permanent.

Decide, take the risk, maybe get rejected. And then choose something else.  Get used to this; this is life!

More about Erin:

Erin Stutland is a renowned author, a mind-body wellness expert, CEO and mom. She was the host and life-style coach of Z Living’s cable series, Altar’d which was nominated for a Real Screen award alongside Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday.

Stutland’s best-selling book, Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want through Mindful Movement, (Hay House) explores her proprietary approach to creating meaningful change by harnessing all the body’s mental, physical, and spiritual energy through a series of stories, journaling exercises, meditations and movement.

Her on-demand app, The Movement helps users all over the world incorporate simple self-care practices that include mindful workouts, meditations and her signature Soul Strolls. She has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, People.com, Fox News, Glamour Magazine and more.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/erin.stutland/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/EStutland https://erinstutland.com/book/

https://erinstutland.com/the-movement/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

My guest this week is Drew Dudley (cool name, huh?).

Because he specializes in leadership topics, and I think he's really smart, I'm excited to share what he knows/what he's learned.

I believe we really can lead from any seat, as I learned from the illuminating Benjamin Zander years ago when I saw him speak at a  conference.  His presence was electric.  And it inspired me to read his books about possibilities, sparking a fire I've had kindling ever since.

Drew urges us to accept that anyone who acts engaging and is doing or demonstrating something, is indeed a leader. I completely agree!

No matter what your role or place in life, when you have a story, it's important to share your story. You simply never know who is in the audience. Right then, or later, people will often respond with, "I thought I was the only one".

It's almost never true.

And more importantly, the stories we're most embarrassed to share, are the ones we need to tell.

When we chatted about success and failure, and thinking that if we try something, or take a risk, we might not survive, Drew urges us to tell him or someone about a time you didn't survive. 

Spoiler alert: you can't!

You can't because you have survived. You're alive and that's proof that you can survive anything. So there's zero evidence that you won't survive. So stop being afraid of that, at least.

As far as risks go, we can almost never be certain of something so instead, be decisive.

Get comfortable being uncertain.

Finally, from the hard won wisdom of Drew, momentum is more important than plans. Yes indeed. Because we all know the best laid plans…

So, go build your momentum, decide something, be uncertain, and see what's possible!  You will survive - you have your proof now!

Listen in to see what else he's survived and lived to tell about.

More about Drew:

www.drewdudley.com and the book is The Book - Drew Dudley.

https://www.drewdudley.com/the-book/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

From my guest this week's lips (when I asked her how she found the work she loves), "my gifts match".

I love this phrase so much, because it's a very simple way to align what you love with what you do.  When your gifts match how you live and the work you do, you shine.

There are so many more great tips and insights from my lovely guest, Dana Anderson.

When you're self aware and you focus on growing your emotional intelligence, matching your gifts to what you do becomes so much easier. No wonder why we're better at this when we're older - we have more experience!

For my younger audience, Dana says college is like a dress rehearsal for your work life.  Advocate for yourself early and often.  Get used to this. It's a lifelong skill you will need.

When something good happens, say thank you and I deserve this! It tells the universe you're ready for more.

And her advice for anyone searching for meaningful work and experiences? Resist less, chase less, attract more.

As far as truth and transparency when communicating with others - is it worth it? The short answer is yes. Every time. Because no matter what the outcome, it expands you and the other person!

For those of you thinking this is all easier said than done, of course it is.  Literally anything you can think of takes more effort to do than to say.

So get going!  You only have this one life!

Oh, and remember, there's more where that came from (the good stuff, I mean).

More about Dana:

All socials = @theycallmedna

TEDx on Equity + Inclusion is HERE.

DanaNAnderson.com

ConcreteRunwayInc.com

CriesFromQuarantine.com

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

As far as I'm concerned, true freedom is the choice to do work that we love, that makes an impact, and affords us the experiences we want to have in our lives.

For my guest this week, Sam Varner, it's very similar. Her work was born out of necessity and the need to have freedom and flexibility.

When we chatted about finding our niche, she emphasized the importance of these questions:

• What nourishes you?
• How can you nourish others?
• How can you make connections?

Then once you've answered some of these questions, keep tweaking and dismiss what's not working.

She assures us, like many of my guests, we usually already know the answers.  What she does is empower people to get there sooner. Brilliant!

And lastly, expose yourself to many things early. Dabble in your interests. This will guide you in figuring things out sooner.

You'll soon discover you have the ability to transform and impact those around you. We all do- really!

More about Sam:

Website: www.shecollective.biz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shecollectivebiz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthanvarner/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

You're smarter than you know.

I hope this isn't the first time you're hearing this. But just in case it is, you're in good hands.

She's a coach/creator/connector and all around beautiful human being.  You will be able to see her light shining through from the moment we begin chatting.

I'm talking about Emily Bossert, my guest this week on The Peace and Possibilities Podcast. (Incidentally, I'm just realizing how many lit up people I get to talk to every week! How cool is that?)

Hopefully you're noticing a theme: you do what you love, and you light up.  And others can see it, and you attract more of the same.

Instead of taking my word for it, check out my conversation with Emily.  She reflects on many important concepts:

• Take ownership
• Trust your intuition and knowledge
• Community is huge
• Stop comparing yourself and get quiet
• You inner truth is waiting to be asked
• Simplify everything - your mind, your space, etc.

And check in with your 75 year old future self; what would this wise person have to say to you now?

Finally, I've mentioned this a few times lately. Try the Super Thinking exercise.  Allow yourself 60 uninterrupted minutes and ask and answer all the questions you have about your work and life.  You'll be shocked at how much you already know (when you're used to asking questions to everyone else). Ask yourself and discover the answers within.

Email me and tell me what you think. 

More about Emily:

https://www.compass.com/agents/emily-bossert/

https://www.instagram.com/iamemilybossert/

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

My inspiring guest this week is a relationship expert and an entrepreneur.  Oh, and a problem solver too (I can totally relate).

During our conversation, Abi Singh and I talked about many great ideas to help you thrive and live more peacefully, ultimately having more happiness.

One of my favorite things Abi said was "don't let fear block you from your blessings". As you appreciate your blessings, be aware of yourself, always (this is a lifelong journey). Self-awareness is necessary for growth.

I especially loved when she recommended not to hold back on your joy.  Get more joy for yourself and expand your partner's joy (and anyone else's for that matter).

When trying to come to a decision, ask yourself "Regarding this decision, in 5 years, what do I see happening because of this decision? Will it hinder or spoil anything?" Then make your decision based on this answer.

Finally, she believes, as do I, everyone has something to teach and the ability to transform.  Find what your "thing" is.  And then go share it with the world!

More about Abi:

Abi Singh is a wife, rom-com fanatic, life coach and relationship expert. She is passionate about helping couples push past fears and frustrations in their relationship so that they can thrive. Abi coaches couples using the strategies she used to heal her own frustrations in what is now her CPR 'revival' framework. Abi lives on the beautiful tr-island state of Grenada with her husband and business partner and delivers powerful coaching experiences for couples locally and internationally. www.instagram.com/coachabisingh

And check out my bestselling book:

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book

It's been a year since I launched my bestselling book, Peace, Possibilities and Perspective!

My deepest gratitude to every single person who has supported me along the way.

Listen in as my publisher, Everett O'Keefe from Ignite Press, interviews me and learn more about why and how I wrote my book.

There's a version for everyone: the e-book, the paperback, the hard cover, or the audio book, available at Target.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon, and many libraries around town.  Get or give a copy today!

Spreading peace and possibilities to everyone is my life's mission!

https://youtu.be/x_5sc0WmSzE

Peace, Possibilities, and Perspective:
8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career

https://2possibilityandbeyond.com/my-book