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IN THIS EPISODE: Gail Gensler's pro-aging stance and philosophy Why and how she prioritizes fitness and a healthy lifestyle The legacy that she wants to leave behind How we too can embrace fitness in our midlife — even if we've never been "athletic" ABOUT MY GUEST:Gail Gensler is a 60-year old pro-aging fitness enthusiast living in Miami. Gail's goal is to change the narrative about aging through fitness and a healthy lifestyle and to inspire younger generations to not fear the years. In this episode, we talk about her pro-aging stance, how she stays fit physically and mentally, and the message she wants all of us to hear about what we can do as we get older.For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast.

IN THIS EPISODE:- Why self fragmentation occurs and why it shows up at work and home- What is a “wholeness journey” and what is its end goal- Self-advocacy: what it looks like and how it sounds- The idea behind small brave YESes- Where to begin our wholeness journeyABOUT MY GUEST:Shawn Fink is the founder and host of The Brave Yes Show and a coach for Gen X women who want to redefine themselves or their careers for the next half of their lives. In this episode, we explore what leads to self-fragmentation, how we can recognize it, and how we can begin the journey to our whole self. We also talk about a very important thing – self-advocacy – and how this is such a critical skill to learn and hone.For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Why we all need a personal contingency plan What goes into our plan Analog vs Digital Where to start — the basics ABOUT MY GUEST:After 30+ years in corporate financial services, Mary Beth Simon now uses her strategic talents as a keynote speaker and to coach entrepreneurs and individuals on creating their contingency plans to empower their second-in-command to keep business and life flowing smoothly in an emergency. In this episode, Mary Beth and I talk about who needs a contingency plan, why we need to have one, that no one is "too young" to have a plan together - this has nothing to do with age. And where we should start and the bare minimum that we should have in place. For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: It's easy to rationalize our way OUT and convince ourselves we don't need a career change. Asking for help at the outset can make all the difference. The transition to a new career can take different forms; there isn't one way to do this. A midlife career change doesn't mean starting from Square 1. We take with us all the experiences, skills, and perspectives that can only enrich our new role. ABOUT MY GUEST:Annie Schuessler is a business coach and the host of the podcast Rebel Therapist® Podcast. With her Rebel Therapist®Programs, she helps therapists, healers, and coaches make an impact beyond a traditional private practice.Annie had thought she was having her version of a midlife crisis when she started to feel the strong pull to reinvent herself and her career. And in this episode, we talk about all that happened after that one beautiful weekend when she finally realized that this successful career that she had painstakingly built? The truth was she dreaded returning to it the following Monday.For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: The concept of “Body Peace” and how we can achieve it The diet culture: how to recognize it, name it, and create healthy boundaries How we can approach weight loss, if that is our goal, and increase our chances of achieving what we really want Embracing our bodies in midlife Listening to our bodies ABOUT MY GUEST:Nina Manolson is a board-certified health and wellness coach. She helps women end the war with food and body so that we can finally feel at peace and at home in our bodies. The kind of home where we can run around naked and not worry about what is “good enough” or what others will think.For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Limiting Beliefs: where they come from and how they develop The limiting beliefs that are most damaging Why Lana doesn’t say that we “overcome limiting beliefs” and what she teaches her clients instead When fear and limiting beliefs intersect How to reframe old narratives ABOUT MY GUEST:Lana Hernandez is a Mindset and Empowerment Coach who guides her clients through the mindset triggers of the entrepreneurial journey. Using her intuitive gifts and 20+ years of corporate knowledge, Lana supports her clients as they navigate their mindset barriers so they can not only experience breakthroughs but also sustain empowered growth as they plan for success.For all the links and show notes, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

It’s been almost 4 years since I started this podcast, the first episode with my guest Shannon Davis airing in June 2017. Since that episode, I have been through a lot and have grown quite a bit, in a way that only our lived experiences can do for us.The podcast has also changed over the years, in terms of frequency and the stories we cover here on the show. And now, the world itself has changed dramatically. As I began planning for Season 7 of this podcast, I realized something. This podcast has to evolve — just as you and me and the world have evolved.

IN THIS EPISODE: Why and how Shara’s search for natural solutions for her husband led to her plant-based diet and lifestyle change What’s been easy/hard about her transition How the initial decision to stop eating meat led to other lifestyle changes Various tricks she learned and adopted to stick to her plant-based lifestyle Former teacher, Shara Haberman began her diet and lifestyle change somewhat accidentally. Her plant-based health journey began after her husband, Tom, was diagnosed with diabetes and prescribed meds. Shara was, in her words, on a mission to help her husband fight diabetes with natural solutions.The more she researched, the more she realized how important it was for her to change her own diet in order to prevent potential health issues that may be ahead of her and to be an example for her husband.The positive benefits that Shara experienced from her plant-based health transformation fueled her to earn an M.S. in Health Psychology and become a certified health and wellness coach.In this episode, Shara shares her transition to a plant-based diet, the challenges she had to navigate around, and how she's been able to stick to this new healthier lifestyle.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

IN THIS EPISODE Making ourselves small doesn’t help anyone, least of all, ourselves What ‘living small’ looks and feels like in real life The internal changes when we work on ourselves do affect how we show up in the world The concept of borrowing someone else’s belief in you How 2020 became the catalyst for Mara to finally do the work that allowed her to step out and take up space Mara is an intuitive coach who helps perfectionists and people-pleasers reclaim their sovereignty. Her superpower is saying what you need to hear when you need to hear it and she is here to help you believe in yourself as much as she believes in you. But the ability to do this for others did not mean that she had this mastered for herself. She has always been able to read a room well and sense what's needed... which is a great skill in a professional capacity. But this also meant that in a personal sense, she was always contorting herself trying to please - something that she has been doing for most of her life.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Highlights of Episode 154: How does living and working "on the move" actually work Unique challenges and benefits of living in a really small space Where they park, what they do for electricity, internet access, water, among others! How this experience is changing her and how she engages with people The responsibilities of traveling during a pandemic Brigitte Lyons is the founder of Podcast Ally, a podcast booking agency that has lined up 100s of podcast interviews for their clients. Brigitte has spent her entire career working in the PR industry, but she believes podcasts are a special medium that impacts the lives of everyone who produces, guests, and listens to a show, and she’s thrilled to have come into this specialization.And here's the kicker, she runs the agency while traveling the United States in a 21 ft fiberglass travel trailer, where she lives and works with her husband and gets out to hike as often as she can.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

IN THIS EPISODE: Why and how podcasting is a natural fit for Yvonne Marchese How her personal experiences and passion drove her transformation The steps she took to fully embrace her new role and be “all in” How being a storyteller is always a part of who she is Where Yvonne sees her podcast growing ABOUT MY GUEST:Yvonne Marchese is a professional photographer and a former actress. She’s also a mom and wife, and since 2020, a podcaster. She is the host of Late Bloomer Living, a weekly podcast that delivers fresh perspectives on midlife-living through candid conversations with people who have busted through their midlife doldrums by stepping into the unknown.Yvonne calls herself a serial pivoter. And my recent chat with her focused on this latest reimagining as a podcaster, how it came about, why it came about, and what her experience has been so far, through this transformation.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Highlights of Episode 152 The real reason behind Tara McMullin’s decision to start a new fitness habit How Tara was able to maintain her motivation and stick to her fitness habits What Tara was tracking at the beginning of her journey to track her progress How and when she realized she had become a different person Tara’s fitness routine now Tara McMullin is a business leader. She is the founder of the What Works community and the host of the What Works podcast. About four years ago, she decided to adopt a new set of fitness habits that have resulted in a remarkable and visible physical transformation.She is today a different person than the one I first met in 2015. I’m not just talking about her physical appearance. Something about her and the way that she shows up has changed. And I wanted to get to the bottom of it and understand it all.It was as if the physical changes brought about other changes as well. Or was it the other way around? And as it turned out, it was both-and.Tara’s reimagining of herself was beyond her physical fitness. In fact, it was never the main driver.In this episode, we talked about the genesis of her fitness habit and physical transformation, how she maintained motivation and stick to her new habits, and when she figured out she had become a different person. We also talked about what her fitness routine looks like now in the time of the pandemic and social distancing.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Like so many people, I love starting a new year. The idea of turning over a new page, starting a new chapter in my life, fills me with such excitement and drive.Many would point out though that there’s nothing magical about a new year. It’s simply another day on the calendar. And we can decide to change ourselves and set out for new directions at any time in the year.This is true, of course. Still, I feel the special spirit and energy that only a new year brings. I can sense the renewed hope for and focus on bettering ourselves. I can feel the collective drive of so many people committing to being who they want to be.For some of us, “being the person we want to be” may mean minor tweaks and simple improvements from how we’ve already been operating. For others, it means setting out for a new direction. It’s a choice for reinvention.No matter where you may be in that spectrum, it’s all about reimagining ourselves — seeing ourselves acting the way we want to act, living the life we want to live, being the people we want to be.It is in that spirit that the new season of Second Breaks will highlight stories of people who have dared to reimagine living and working differently and transformed themselves along the way.You will hear from folks who dared to step out from their shell, who dared to embrace who they really are, and who dared to show up differently.You’ll hear from Yvonne Marchese who dared to use her voice and lean deeper into who she is – a storyteller – and became a podcaster. And from Brigitte Lyons who dared to live the freedom that she’s always wanted, and so in 2020, she and her husband took off to live in a mobile trailer and became truly location independent. You’ll hear from Shara Haberman who dared to live a healthier life and became a vegetarian and Tara McMullin who embraced the power of moving her body and became the person who ran and climbed, and worked-out every day.My hope is that, by bringing you these stories in Season 6, you will find the inspiration to go forth and take a step toward the life that you’ve reimagined. And if you’re already on that path, that these stories will keep you motivated and strengthened, especially during the rough times when the doubts sneak in.

In This Episode: Dr. Nayla Bahri and Lou Blaser chat candidly about their 2020 and how they are approaching 2021 Why and how, in the year that made things so complicated, many things also became simpler Lessons learned and surprising insights about themselves New habits to incorporate, old habits to re-enforce in 2021 How they are planning for a year of continued uncertainty and hope Dr. Nayla Bahri is a leadership and career development coach who focuses on our relationship with work. She co-hosts the Inside Job podcast and teaches at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia Business School, and Teachers College.For all the links and highlights of this episode, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Well, my friend. Here we are. We made it to the end of this extraordinary, unbelievable year that was 2020.I'm not going to pretend that I can imagine what kind of year you had. I have this sense that we're in this situation where we're all experiencing the same thing - but we're having different kinds of experiences.I will hazard a guess though that the kind of year you had was quite different from what you had planned for back in January 2020. Maybe you had to change your goals because of what's happening. Lots of people certainly had that experience. Maybe you kept the same ones - but there's a good chance the way you executed those goals was different from the original plans.Regardless of how your year panned out, I think you can take a pause here and give yourself a pat on the back. You adopted, you accommodated, you adjusted. You did the best you can! And that's all we can really ask of ourselves.In the spirit of "we're all in this together," I wanted to reflect and share with you the five most memorable interviews - the specific ones that really struck a chord for me.For the highlights and the links, head on over to https://secondbreaks.com/podcast.

Donald Christian is a senior partner at PwC. He sits on the Board of the firm and currently leads the US East Region Advisory practice. If I remember correctly, he’s one of – if not THE youngest ever admitted to partnership. Since his admission in 1997, Don has served in a number of roles in the firm, served on several committees, and is an active and visible leader in PwC’s efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion.I have had many mentors and heroes over the years, but he is the one single individual who has had the most impact on my work ethic, how I navigate my career, how I think about relevance and making an impact. Every now and again, I still catch myself thinking what would Don do? We haven’t worked with each other for more than a decade and yet his is still one of the voices I hear in my head. Talk about impact.In this episode, we talked about how he defines and measures success, the habits that have helped him the most in his career, the principles that guide his choices, and how he stays relevant in a changing marketplace. For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She has written over 30 books published in 149 countries and 6 languages. Her award-nominated podcast, The Creative Penn Podcast, has been downloaded over 4 million times in 220 countries and is one of the longest-running and most popular podcasts for writers. Joanna has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential people in publishing & writing by The Guardian.While all these achievements are impressive, what I really admire about Joanna is the way she’s been able to reinvent herself and build a successful writing career. For me, she demonstrates intention and focus. She knows where she wants to go and then steadfastly moves in that direction.She sets challenging goals – I know because she shares those goals with her listeners and readers – and then, she actually takes action on those goals such that by the end of each year, we can see her progression. Frankly, if there’s one person I’d like to model for focus, drive, grit, and courage, it’s Joanna.There’s something she said to me about longevity being a key factor to success in any field. I think what you’ll hear throughout this interview is just how Joanna works — the processes and habits she follows — to create that longevity in her career.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

Bonnie Gillespie has been working in the film industry for decades, both in front of the camera (earlier on in her career) and then later, as a casting director. In addition, she has been helping fellow actors by demystifying the casting process and illuminating the business side of pursuing a creative career.She writes, coaches, and teaches on enoughness and cultivating an empowering mindset for our chosen journey. Bonnie has been featured on Good Morning America, BBC, Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, among others.For me, Bonnie is the epitome of a woman who is comfortable in her own skin, someone who continuously stretches herself and graciously shares her journey. I definitely consider her one of my role models. And I’m beyond thrilled she was game to come to the show.We covered many things in this interview. But two things I truly appreciated were (1) the bits about rejection, which is my personal life’s work, and (2) the bits about enoughness, which is, in a way, related to rejection. Bonnie and I also talked about how she maintains positivity, how she uses compartmentalization, focusing on the right results when measuring success, and the importance of celebrating every step of the way.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

“Our career choice massively impacts our family and loved ones. When thinking about what I want to do next, the first lens I put on it is, ‘Is this the right thing to do for my family?’” — Graham Bell.Graham Bell is the Chief Executive Officer of World of Books Group. He assumed this role in September 2019 after being the company’s CFO/COO. Prior to World of Books, he was the Managing Director at Countrywide. And before that, he led a Corporate Finance team at PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is where we met and became good friends.In this episode, we talked about how and why his career goals changed over time, how he measures success these days, his views around the common sentiment “follow your passion”, and his approach when things aren’t turning out the way he might have liked.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast

“There are people out there who want what I bring to the table. All of it — the technical knowledge, the perspective, the personality that goes with. And it’s my job to find them.” —Jacquette TimmonsMy guest today is Jacquette Timmons. Jacquette is a financial behaviorist and the CEO of Sterling Investment Management. She is the author of Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship With Your Money and Your Mate. She speaks, writes, and coaches about our relationship with money, integrating psychology, financial management, and emotions into the discussion, because of course money is an emotional topic.Jacquette brings decades of experience into her work and has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, Bloomberg Radio, Women of Power TV and has been quoted on several journals and blogs. She is a New Yorker and an avid runner. You may just catch her running around Brooklyn in the mornings. She is definitely one of my heroes and one of the people whose work inspires me.For the highlights of this conversation and all the links, visit https://secondbreaks.com/podcast