Season 10 - Think Bigger with Olympian Champ Lina Taylor - Episode 94

When life doesn’t hand you opportunities, you create them. Think Bigger

Lina has never stepped away from a challenge and inspires others to face the impossible and experience unprecedented success. At just age 14, growing up in communist Bulgaria, she realized that her future lay in earning a scholarship to an American university. Undeterred by the overwhelming political and social challenges, Lina pioneered a way for countless other student athletes to achieve the same dream.

After graduating as an Academic All-American with a degree in Biology, Lina turned to beach volleyball in pursuit of her Olympic dream. In mere months, Lina climbed from the bottom of the ranking to represent her home country at the Olympics. Lina and her sister played at both Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.

Since then, Lina has pursued her post sport career with equal passion and determination. This resulted in her launching an international company, guiding student athletes to achieve their goals by learning crucial skills for success at the next level. She also works with former elite athletes and Olympians, helping them find success in the business arena

Show Notes:

LinkedIn, Website, Foundation for Teamwork

Lina Taylor - Olympics

Lina Taylor, Speaker and Executive Coach

Season 10- Olympic Gold Medalist|Professional Speaker & Mentor for Young Athletes|Breeja Larson: Episode 91

Breeja Larson 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. Larson was born in Mesa, Arizona, one of seven sisters. She later moved to Boise, Idaho where she attended Centennial High School in Boise, Idaho for three years and graduated from Mountain View High School in Mesa in 2010. She swam for the Centennial Patriot and Mountain View Toros high school swim teams. As a senior, she was the state runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke. She also lettered in softball and track and field. She attended Texas A&M University, where she swam for the Texas A&M Aggies swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 2011 to 2014. As a freshman, she finished second in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke at the 2011 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships; as a sophomore in 2012, she was the NCAA national champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, and finished third in the 200-yard event. She was a senior during the 2013–14 school year. She also graduated from Titans of Investing, A&M Class 19

Show Notes:

Breeja Larson Linked In, Instagram

Breeja Larson, Olympic Gold Medalist

Breeja Larson

Season 9 - Self Care Sanctuary with Michelle Dalbec - Episode 87

Michelle Dalbec, E-RYT 500, is a passionate professional level teacher and educator.  Michelle hosts educational and experiential yoga programs, delivers dynamic and motivational workshops, and directs professional teacher trainings all over the country.  She teaches with the intention to inspire authentic alignment, expression, and movement.  Whether she’s teaching restorative yoga or vigorous vinyasa, meditation or conscious communication, she leads with an inquiry based approach that empowers students to realize their full potential and individuality.  Michelle believes that yoga is for everyone, a life-long journey of self-discovery and growth both on and off the mat.

Michelle feels it’s her passion and purpose to educate people about everything yoga so they can use the tools of yoga to create a wholehearted life.

Show Notes:

Website, Blog, Resources

Michelle Dalbec, Kripalu, MYoga, Wisdom of Friends Show

Season 9 ~ Mindful Leadership with Holly Duckworth - Episode 86

Holly Duckworth, CAE, CMP, LSP is a trailblazing keynote speaker and applied mindful leadership advisor. As a contributor to the New York Times, Producer/Host of the Everyday Mindfulness Show, and columnist to countless industry publications she works with stressed-out leaders to create, peace, presence, and profits. Holly’s career began in the world of non-profits and volunteer leadership teaching thousands of association staff and volunteers how to “reboot” for success. Today she takes the best of her strategic vision expertise, blends it with mindful leadership practices and her event background to curate experiential events that change hearts, minds and companies.
Our world has become mind less. Thru mindfulness training Holly works with you to know what mindfulness is, what it is not. Then apply your mindfulness techniques to produce more productive and profitable organizations.

Holly’s was named Meetings Today 2018 Trend Setter for her applied mindfulness work and 2016 Smart Meetings Woman of the Year. Holly’s current book Mindful Leadership: The Stress-Free Guide to leadership is a best seller and her award-winning book Ctrl+Alt+Believe: Reboot Your Association For Success has won two national awards. Holly believes mindfulness builds leaders and organizations that work for everyone.

Show Notes:

Website, Blog, Resources

Holly Duckworth, Mindfulness Expert, Wisdom of Friends

Season 8 - The art of communication and language of leadership with Patricia Fripp - Episode 77

When your message must be memorable, your presentation powerful, and your sale successful, call Patricia Fripp. One of the few professional speakers who can transform the presentation skills of others, she is an executive speech coach and sales presentation skills trainer. Kiplinger's Personal Finance wrote that one of the best investments you can make in your career is Patricia Fripp’s presentation skills training. Patricia simplifies and demystifies the process of preparing and presenting powerful, persuasive presentations. She delivers her message through keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and in-depth customized training and coaching. Patricia is now virtually everywhere with FrippVT, her interactive, learn-at-your-own-pace, virtual presentation skills training. Named “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America” by Meetings and Conventions magazine, Patricia delivers high-content, entertaining, dramatically memorable presentations. She has won and been awarded these designations by the National Speakers Association: Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), CPAE, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and the Cavett Award (considered the Oscar of speaking). Patricia is a past president, and the first female president, of the over 3,500-member National Speakers Association. She is a member of the highly prestigious Speakers Roundtable, an invitation-only group of highly regarded professional speakers, authors, and consultants. Patricia teams up with her brother, legendary guitarist of King Crimson, Robert Fripp, for Fripp and Fripp presentations on “How to Be a Hero for More Than One Day” and “Beginner to Master.” She is the author of Make It So You Don't Have to Fake It! and Get What You Want! and co-author of Speaker's Edge, Speaking Secrets of the Masters and Insights Into Excellence. Fripp Virtual Training’s Powerful, Persuasive Presentations is a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art, web-based training platform that emulates live training and coaching. It is almost as if Patricia Fripp were sitting right there with you. Join FrippVT.

Show Notes -

Patricia Fripp Website - Here

FrippVT - Here

Patricia Fripp

Season 4 - The Philosophy of Leadership with Toastmasters International President Balraj Arunasalam, DTM - Episode 43

Balraj Arunasalam, DTM, of Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, is chairman/managing director of Gemtrans Engineering Company, a maker of industrial belts. Active in his community, he serves as President of the Iyyappan Temple management board, as Vice President of the Aarunadu Velalar Society of Sri Lanka, and is a member of both the local Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club.

In 2011, Arunasalam helped establish an English course for Rural Voices Unlimited, a project designed to educate youth in rural Sri Lanka. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo recognized him for this ongoing work with youth. Arunasalam holds an advanced level General Certificate of Education from Trinity College in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and is earning a master’s degree through the Australian Institute of Business Administration.

A dedicated Toastmaster for 27 years, Arunasalam is a member of two clubs, including his home club Colombo Toastmasters. A distinguished leader, Arunasalam has held numerous offices from club through international level: He served as International Director 2011 to 2013 and Second Vice President 2014-2015 and First Vice-President 2015-2016, Toastmasters International. He holds the Distinguished Toastmaster designation—the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters International.

“Toastmasters is a way of life,” Arunasalam says. “It helped me understand the philosophy of leadership, to give and receive respect, and to be humble.”

As International President, Arunasalam is a “working ambassador” for the organization. He works with the Board to develop and support the policies and procedures that guide Toastmasters International in fulfilling its mission.

Balraj Arunasalam

Kaushal "Kal" Aras and Balraj Arunasalam