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Ria Davidson is the Co-Founder of Dragonfly. Come here the story of a Chicago girl makes her way to Cincinnati by way of Purdue University. Public Relations brought her not only a career, but a lifelong friend and together they started this amazing charity. Topics Covered : Branding Public Speaking Public Relations Serving Friendships Dragonfly.Org Podcast music by Akira The Don with permission

Barb Stindt is a distributor for Max International, a health supplement company. You can contact Barb directly for more information at:  513-616-4939 or barbstindtmax@gmail.com Podcast music by Akira The Don with permission

Joe Wessels is the editor of Loveland Local News, which is a unique and refreshing take on local journalism. What do you believe? There’s a place for journalism in this country. Journalism should report the facts and not portray individual opinions. Local communities need a fair and unbiased news report. For more information go to lovelandlocalnews.com Podcast music by Akira The Don with permission

Bambi Merz is the owner of Tickled Sweet in historic Milford, OH.  Hear the story of a true entrepreneur and the journey she took to this artisan chocolate and candy store. Check out tickledsweet.net Podcast music by Akira The Don with permission

Today’s episode is about Pattern Recognition Brought to you by Impact Club: impactclub.com Podcast music by Akira the Don with permission.

Theresa and I have been binge watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime. Miriam Maisel is an Upper West Side housewife and mother of two. She’s introduced to the world of stand up comedy as her husband does occasional routines at a dive club downtown. Mrs. Maisel befriends the club’s manager in order get her husband stage time to do his act. Additionally, she takes notes and becomes a student of the craft of comedy. Blindsided, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is handed a devastating setback as her husband leaves for his office secretary. One night, in a drunken state, she takes the stage uninvited and proceeds to lampoon her current situation and disintegrating marriage. The audience loved it! Her new friend, the manager of the club, took notice and our unexpected heroine begins the journey of putting her life back together and pursuing stand up comedy as a craft. Watching her pursue the art of comedy is fascinating. The parallels to our own lives are profound. First, she discovers her purpose, then she dedicates time and energy sharing it with the world. Unfortunately, not everyone pursues their purpose. There are two types of people in the world, those who talk and those who do. Talkers versus Doers. In the case of Mrs. Maisel, she must go on stage nightly in order to improve her craft. She must endure hecklers, mistimed jokes, bad microphones. Some nights, you’re just off and you’re not funny. You try new things and they fall flat. Night, after night, after night. Mrs. Maisel is a doer. Taking action. Talkers on the other hand, well, you know what they say, talk is cheap. Talkers are what I like to call the backbenchers. The critics. The hecklers. The type who will hassle the comic on stage, but never have the guts to get on stage themselves. Never brave enough try. Never brave enough to fail. Worried about what someone might say. Never brave enough to discover their own purpose. Never brave enough to share. Talkers are voyeurs, watching the world go by instead of participating. Blaming the politicians, instead of taking action. Complaining about the way things are, instead of contributing and leading us to a new way. Talkers watch. Doers lead. Talkers complain. Doers roll up their sleeves. Talkers blame. Doers encourage. Talkers scoff. Doers inspire. We’re not all comedians, or actors, or athletes, no most of us don’t get on a literal stage, but we all HAVE a stage. A platform, a cause, a mission, a purpose. Doers find that stage and perform. Doers like Kristen Klein who I interviewed on Episode 118 of the Loveland Advice Givers podcast. Do yourself a favor and listen, her story will inspire you. Check it out on Stitcher.com or on iTunes. (Search for Ron Adams) Finally, If you like to laugh, and you like music, and you like a good story, I could not recommend more highly, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Podcast music by Akira the Don with permission.

Kristen Klein is a consultant for L’Bri.  What do you believe? Healthy lifestyle Helping people with their skincare How do we find your product? Through a personal consultant The personal consultant can help you figure out your needs Buy online How can we get in contact with you? Lbri.com/kristenrn You can get a sample set online Facebook.com/4peaceloveandaloe 513-498-4923 Podcast music by Akira The Don with permission

“The Choice” A few weeks ago, on podcast Episode 78 of the Loveland Advice Givers podcast, I discussed leadership. In a sense, we are all leaders. Are you a mom? You’re a leader. Are you a dad? You’re a leader. Are you a Sunday School Teacher? You’re a leader. One of the main themes of that episode was that leadership starts with you. My take? “If you want to lead people, you first must become someone worth following.” So, to become a leader you must learn to manage the most difficult person you will ever encounter, the person looking back at you in the mirror. In order to manage others you must first manage yourself. Right now, I am not happy with myself. Right now, I am not consistent with almost any aspect of my personal and professional development. Right now, I am not someone I believe worthy of being followed. Here’s the thing, I have this collision of ideas that for about a year has nearly paralyzed me. The fight inside of my head, like a good boxing match, is between two seemingly opposite viewpoints. Regiment vs. Flow. The ring announcer introduces the two opponents: “In this corner wearing blue trunks, weighing in at 225 pounds from Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Reg-i-meeeeeeent! And in this corner in red trunks and a svelte 200 pounds from Long Beach, California – – – -Flooooooooow!” When to work. When to rest. Be strict with my schedule or let things flow. Be regimented and dogmatic or just take things as they come. Be intentional about everything I do or let nature take its course. Regiment represents hard work and intention. Flow represents the ability to let your day unfold and not press too hard. Stay within yourself. Smell the roses. This is one of the worst feelings–to be stuck in the middle. Like a deer in the headlights. The uncertainty that comes with this feeling has hurt my confidence. Self doubt has creeped into my mindset and self-sabotage has slowed my progress. It’s like the first time you jumped off of the high dive at the pool and you just stand there unsure whether or not you will take the plunge. Our life so many times gives us these seemingly polar opposite choices. When we are faced with difficult choices, the right answer is almost always to move forward. To go. To do. To try. Regiment or flow? I’ve decided to choose both. Regiment to order my days. Flow to allow for the inevitable obstacles. Podcast music by Akira the Don with permission.

“Performing” Monday through Thursday at 11:30 AM, I do a daily Facebook Live Show on my Loveland Advice Givers Facebook page. Each show is based on my daily writing. My daily writing is based on four subjects: Mind, Body, Business, and Relationships. Why Mind, Body, Business, Relationships? We all struggle from time to time in all four of these areas. My intent with the writing is to share my experiences so others might realize that they are not alone. Maybe they will read one of my stories and be encouraged to move forward despite their circumstance. The daily Facebook shows get recorded and published on my podcast, also called Loveland Advice Givers. (You can find it on Stitcher.com or iTunes) Podcasts are getting more and more popular because not everyone has time to sit down and watch a show. We’re busy. The beauty of a podcast is that it’s a passive activity. You can listen while you drive, fold laundry, exercise, wash the dishes, take a bath. You know, stuff you have to do daily. Because I recognize the power of podcasts I want my shows to be of the highest quality. Yesterday, after listening to a few recent episodes, I went on a rant. I took to my daily Live show and criticized myself. My show wasn’t up to my standards. The intro wasn’t smooth. The transitions were awkward. I spent the first 30 seconds of a show just clearing my throat! Why would I publicly criticize myself? On air? For all the world to see? For the same reason I write. I want to share the struggle with the audience and help them understand the value of practice. And persistence. And continuous improvement. For deploying a performance based mindset to my craft. You see, podcasting is a craft. It’s a skill that requires continual improvement. As does writing. As does husbanding. Or fathering. Or lifing. (just made that word up). Life is a craft. Nobody’s perfect. We’re all working on something. Podcast music by Akira the Don with permission.

I am obsessed with Akira the Don. Who? He’s a Musician/D.J./Producer and mostly he produces high energy, positive songs that encourage you to be the best version of yourself. Google him. Listen to a few of his songs and I promise you’ll find one or two that speaks to you. So, I’m in the tub Sunday night (by the way, Epsom salts in a hot bath will get you hooked on taking baths) and I take my phone with me to listen to a podcast, my normal routine. That night, however, I get a YouTube notification from the Akira the Don channel and I open it to listen. His new song features Jocko Willik–ex Navy Seal. The title of the song? Discipline Equals Freedom. And then, this morning, Ryan Fletcher, my good friend and Co-Founder with ImpactClub®, writes a profound truth as he discusses sticking points that hold people back from achievement. He writes: “Someone said to me the other day, I have terrible routines. My routines are holding me back. Because I don’t have an effective routine. They said I need to get up earlier, but I’m not a morning person. I said, what constitutes a morning person? Is their DNA different? No. A morning person is someone who set an alarm, and when it went off, at 4:30 or 5, or 6 am, they got out of bed. They didn’t hit snooze. They didn’t make an excuse. They didn’t continue to lay there. They got up. That’s a morning a person. And, to make it easier, so they’re not as tired, they start going to be a little earlier. That’s called a choice. That has nothing to do with one’s DNA. So set the alarm. And get the hell out of bed. Now you’re a morning person. And if you do it consistently, it and adjust your decisions and choices, it becomes a habit. Your body will start to wake itself up. You won’t even need that alarm clock. Most sticking points can be solved with discipline + simple actions.” There it is again, discipline. Only this time, more directly aimed at me. This idea, of holding myself accountable, continues to pursue me. God is trying to get my attention. To remind me that my routines and habits are not working for me, but against me. Last night, I woke up at 2:00 AM and could not get back to sleep. This lack of sleep will manifest itself in my life. It will prevent me from having the energy and fortitude to do the important tasks ahead as I seek to grow as a person and as a business owner. You see, I want freedom. Financial freedom. Freedom of thought. Freedom of expression. Freedom to pursue my dreams. Freedom to enjoy my daily life. But how? Discipline. What is discipline? Merriam Webster says this : “to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control. Training. Exercising. Self-Control. Got it. Loud and clear. Discipline Equals Freedom.

“Judge Not” For most of my adult life, I’ve struggled with a constant sense of guilt. Never satisfied, but continually blaming myself for things undone. Blaming myself for fading relationships, or goals not yet achieved. No one is more critical of me than me. I work alone with two dogs at my feet. You should hear the conversations. My frustration with a missed detail on a listing agreement. My constant criticism of how I missed yet another deadline. My over editing a blog post because it’s not quite perfect. When expectations of myself are so high, it’s inevitable that I’ll miss the mark. That’s when my old friend guilt, along with his buddy doubt comes to call. What is guilt? Definition from the dictionary– “the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime.” Crime? An offense? A bad blog post is a crime? What’s wrong with me?Where does this sense of guilt emanate? My guess is that it started in church. Good old fashioned Baptist guilt. “We are all sinners”….. week after week after week. My religion had a way of making me feel inadequate. Like I was always being judged. Like my performance was constantly being monitored. Monitored by God. Monitored by my parents. Monitored by my teachers, bosses, and society. For someone like me, who likes to follow the rules, and who wants to perform well, this mindset can be poison. Constantly monitoring my behavior becomes self loathing and leads to an inner dialogue of self criticism and self doubt. Just ask my dogs, the conversations are quite entertaining. Life got better for me the day I decided to stop judging myself. My blogpost wasn’t written well? So what. Is that a crime? I forgot to call a friend on their birthday? It’s okay, I’m human, I’ll call tomorrow. Once I stopped judging myself, another, more valuable truth was revealed–I learned to stop judging others. Now, I live in freedom. It’s not that I still don’t want to be a good performer, I do. However, I’ve learned to give myself some grace and have embraced my imperfections. Consequently, I’ve learned to embrace the imperfection of others.

What do you believe? Human relationships Face to face interactions “Every customer leaves the store in a better mood” What products do you have? Coffees Teas Hot Chocolates Many options for milk in drinks Kid’s menu Muffins Bragel Sandwiches How can we connect with you? Biggby.com Loveland Biggby Coffee on Facebook

Today’s episode is about running your own race. This episode is brought to you by Impact Club. Want an easy way to make a difference in your community, hear some stories, and drink some beer? Check out impactclub.com for more information. Background music supplied with permission by Akira the Don (The Golden Age)

My belly is coming back. I went to war with it about 4 years ago and for the most part, I’ve been winning. However, it’s making a comeback. Here’s a picture of my daughter and I last Monday in Boston. That belly! The struggles of dieting are a common problem. The struggles of humaning (just made that up) are also common. We all have our challenges. Ryan Holiday in his book, The Obstacle Is The Way, says that challenges are not to be avoided but embraced. Our trials become our greatest teachers and ultimately our greatest triumphs. For me, the belly is only a symptom of my struggles since June of 2018. I broke my leg and got away from my normal exercise routine. For four weeks I literally laid in bed in pain. Immobile. Once I could walk again it was cumbersome. Crutches first, then a scooter. Broken routine meant no exercise. Inconsistent writing. Missed podcasts. Missed newsletter deadlines. Missed weekly emails. Once we get out of our good routine, it’s important to take inventory of our circumstance and commit to finding our way back. My goal is to lead a challenge based life. To embrace the challenge and not hide. To face my obstacles head first. My belly is the obstacle. My belly is the way. If I can solve the belly issue it will impact every other aspect of my life. Back to a good routine means early morning exercise. Which leads to early morning prayer and meditation. Which leads to early morning reading and writing. Which leads to a sharp mind and body to take great care of my clients. Ultimately we have to choose the type of person we wish to become, one who quits, or one who embraces the obstacle. Look out belly, I’m coming for ya.

In 1986 I left my job at the lumberyard to work for a financial services company. When I say financial services, I mean a lender. Only it wasn’t a bank, or a mortgage company. They did personal loans. My job? Call people and make loans. Needless to say, cold calling to sell high interest personal loans was not my thing. In addition we had to make “collection” calls! Oy vey. One of my bosses was a character named Ron Gansheimer. Charismatic, boisterous, but one of the best communicators I’ve ever met. He had a philosophy– “Don’t say, you’ll TRY.” “Trying,” to Ron Gansheimer was just the beginning of an excuse. “Well, I tried” is the next natural progression. He preferred, “Strive” to the word try. I’ve never forgotten that saying and still think about it. I’m not convinced it’s accurate, however, I understood it and respected his thought process. “Don’t say, you’ll TRY,” is just an opinion. One man’s truth. Nike says, “Just Do It.” Is that good advice? Maybe. Given the right set of circumstances. Nancy Reagan said, “Just Say No to Drugs”. Probably really good advice. But, is saying no a good life philosophy? I’m reading the book “Love Does”, by Bob Goff and he has an entire chapter dedicated to “Just Say Yes.” Is that the right mindset? Always say yes? Maybe short term. Bob Goff tried it for a short period of time, but is it sustainable? What I’ve learned over the years is that truth is not easy to define. What’s true for one situation is not true for all situations. Here’s how I’ve come to measure what is true. My experiences, my observations, and my God. What He says is the ultimate barometer of the truth. That’s MY truth. However, each situation is different and what is true for one person is not true for another. Making decisions can be helped by seeking input, but remember, the advice from someone is THEIR truth. It’s okay to get advice, but ultimately the answers lie within us, not without. Ultimately, we must make a decision and move forward, in light of or despite the opinions of others.

Amy Ostigny, of Ostigny Painting and the E Women network, joins us today to share her story: What do you believe? Business is all about building relationships Always be a giving person and, in turn, you will receive What services do you offer? Interior design and painting Project Management  Virtual design work for clients over the internet How can we connect with you? Follow “Ostigny Painting” on Facebook Ewomennetwork.com  Aug 1-3 2019 is the annual E Women Conference 513-403-0301 to call Amy directly to learn more about the E Women Network

Andy McCarthy and Ron Swogger are with RDI in Milford, OH. What do you believe? We believe in building relationships How is your business different? ELLWELL – earn well, learn well, live well Culture Want to build up employees even if they don’t stay with RDI for the long term How can we help you? Spread the word about our culture We are always seeking people for good opportunities Go to rdicorp.com for more information

Today’s episode is about publishing or perishing. This episode is brought to you by Impact Club. Want an easy way to make a difference in your community, hear some stories, and drink some beer? Check out impactclub.com for more information.

Today’s episode is about Perfection This episode is brought to you by Impact Club. Want an easy way to make a difference in your community, hear some stories, and drink some beer? Check out impactclub.com for more information.

Today’s episode is about your Business Religion This episode is brought to you by Impact Club. Want an easy way to make a difference in your community, hear some stories, and drink some beer? Check out impactclub.com for more information.