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All day, every day, we each tell stories about who we are and how we are. Collectively, we speak of “controlling the narrative,” both positively and negatively. Rick Stone tells stories for a living and is one of the world’s foremost experts on the power of storytelling. He began in advertising and has dedicated the past 30 years to bringing back this ancient art form in service of teaching, learning and connecting people worldwide. As the CEO of StoryWork International, Rick uses story-telling based training programs to help fortify interpersonal relationships and for team building and leadership development, helping professionals add deeper purpose and meaning to their work and life at Disney, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Hewlett Packard and many more. His latest book, Story Intelligence, co-authored with Scott Livengood, helps each of us become a master of our story and amplify and unleash every aspect of our IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence). Learn more at Storyintelligence.comAnd check out TheCentralFire.net where you can bring the delight of storytelling to your own community and join other communities of amazing raconteurs.  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

With sold out tours, millions of followers on social and growing critical acclaim, Jake Miller has quietly emerged as a magnetic pop presence. He has done this on his own terms with an infectious, high energy style that’s full of optimism and fun as hell. His fans, dubbed “The Millertary,” are so devoted that many tattoo his lyrics on their body. Florida-raised and LA-based, this singer, songwriter, and producer made waves with 2014’s Dazed and Confused EP. The title track to his 2015 project, Rumors, gathered tens of millions of streams. Jake’s been making heartfelt music steadily ever since … and has shared the stage with the late Mac Miller (who Jake cite as a major influence), Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes to name a few. He recently performed on NBC’s Today Show and LIVE with Kelly and Ryan. Jake continues to inspire on a series of 2022 singles and his forthcoming fifth full-length album.Click Here for to learn more about Jake's tour, music and moreClick Here to see Oscar from the Office on Tic Tok  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Nothing is more gratifying then when a listener calls to share that a discussion on Swan Dive influenced their life choices in a positive way. A recent call with an old coworker of Ron’s was exactly that and explored this listener’s “great resignation” opportunity. This prompted Ron and Stu to revisit some of the key and critical aspects of their own swan dives. In this short episode, your hosts look back at some of the more pragmatic details surrounding their decisions to chase their dreams and discuss the “new wealth” concept, in which time represents the truest and most important currency of all. If you have a story to share or have heard something in this podcast that prompted some action in your life, please reach out and share! Click Here to connect with Swan Dive! Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Christian Boos is one of the most sought out surf and sportfishing guides on the North Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. He grew up in the ocean in Venezuela. At university in Caracas, he majored in computer engineering, a field of study he felt pressured into by society’s expectations of him. But after just 3 months working as a computer engineer in the early 2000s, Boos quit his job and moved to Costa Rica to find a more satisfying and simpler life. A few years later, he started Boos Adventures where, for the past 14 years, he has captained his boats and spent each day pursuing his passions along with his clients. With 4000+ trips under his belt and a reputation for excellent customer service and nautical wisdom, his company’s slogan says it all - “All we do is surf and fish.”Boos Adventures Surf & Fish Charters Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Sheryl Johnson is good at what she does. She’s a fine lawyer, happily married and the mother of four. But one of Sheryl‘s children, Alex, suffered from mental illness and anxiety. And, like so many with this disease, her son did not find in society the care and understanding that was needed. Alex took his own life in 2017, a victim of the pain of depression. Sheryl and her family struggled for a long time with the weight of this unthinkable tragedy. Then, the universe sent Sheryl a sign by way of a dragonfly. And since that time, Sheryl has used what she learned from her beautiful eldest son to make the world a gentler and more helpful place for people suffering  mental illness. She created  the non-profit, hearts4minds.org, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of mental health and connecting those in need to those that provide. Hearts 4 Minds received the “Positively Jax” award in May 2021 in recognition for the impact made in the community, and Sheryl has found joy and profound purpose in this endeavor. This episode of Swan Dive will leave you feeling hopeful not sad. For Sheryl is a warrior who is truly making the world a better place. Click Here to learn more about Hearts 4 Minds  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Large animal veterinarian, Eric Dubbin, is a gentle and curious soul who was good at his job. “I knew which end of the horse got the hay,” this thoughtful healer says modestly. Still, after 18 years serving cows, horses and goats in the rural countryside, something shifted, when serendipity offered him a new opportunity. Instead of serving animals his new gig would be about people, helping leadership lead better, find deeper job satisfaction, find inner peace. A people person, Eric found connecting with humans and serving their deep needs made him very happy. And so, he left the veterinary field to coach his colleagues on how to find more enriching and productive lives … just as he did. Eric quotes Viktor Frankl in describing this unexpected transition, "We don’t create our purpose in life so much as we detect it.”  We hope you enjoy his wonderful and unexpected Swan Dive. Click Here to subscribe to Swan Dive on Apple Podcasts and please leave a review. Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Mitzi Rapkin is the founder, host, and producer of the long-running podcast, First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing,  featuring in-depth conversations with the world's most distinguished literary writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and essays. One of the best interviewers in the biz, her archive contains more than 380 interviews accumulated over nine years. Mitzi reads 50 BOOKS A YEAR, that's one a week, to produce up to 52 exquisite episodes/year, each meticulously covering the  craft, creativity and  themes of a writer’s work. She consciously cultivates conversations that evolve from the mechanics and quirks of a writer's process to questions on what it means to be human. She quit her cushy government day job two days before this episode recorded and told us, “I’m not sure if I'm diving or just falling, but hey,  here I go!”Subscribe to FIrst Draft: A Dialogue on Writing  Learn more about Mitzi’s work as a facilitator and life coach - http://www.fulllightcommunications.com/ Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

“I’m not inherently brave. I was very much in a life that, outside of being queer, had checked off all the American dream boxes: job, child, house, partner that loved me. It was a good relationship, we paid our bills,  I mowed the yard … had cookouts. And then I met my partner (Bret) at a birthday party. I quit my job without a plan … It was in that moment that I was either gonna live authentically or not live very well, despite what on the outside looked really lovely.” Pete Barma, with her wife Bret, recently premiered their latest short film, Pete, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. For this lifelong educator and storyteller, the struggle to live authentically, to love fully and to grow into the best version of herself led her to take an extraordinarily bold leap of faith. That swan dive resulted in Pete finding not only the true love of her life but also a new career as a highly talented filmmaker. Her, short animated, autobiographical film, Pete, tells the story of a little girl named Pete who just wanted to play baseball with the boys, despite the noise coming from "concerned" parents who didn't approve of a girl like this in the mid 1970's. Whoopie Goldberg, one of Tribeca's curators of animated shorts, fell in love with Pete  when she watched it with her granddaughter who also loved it. Petey's wife, Bret Parker, co-founder of Artfarm Productions, is a veteran filmmaker with 26 years at Pixar.  In 2019, Parker and Pete directed their first feature documentary, Through The Windows. Pete is their second film with many more on the way. Click Here for more information about "Pete" and Artfarm Productions.  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

During his nine years as a pro hockey legend from 1972-81, Ron Andruff shared in 3 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. He won two Most Valuable Player awards with three major professional hockey leagues. He also won the American Hockey League Scoring Title. During and after his athletic career, Andruff lent his name and support to important causes, from Big Brothers to cancer, water conservation and many others. An entrepreneur and tech pioneer, Andruff started numerous companies in sports marketing, advertising, travel and beyond. His current consultancy focuses on creating a safer internet where patients in need can be sure that medicines purchased online are both fairly priced and efficacious. Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Beth Black is the Founder of Cherokee Creek Boys School, a therapeutic boarding school for struggling boys 10-15 that offers a safe place to “discover what is real and true about themselves and the world around them.” The school uses indigenous wisdom coupled with modern psychology to help these boys grow and thrive. Beth’s son attended a therapeutic boarding school in the 1990s, and she says, “It has become my mission to seek out the best practices in education and emotional healing for young people and to design a benchmark school that will truly make a difference in the lives of children and their families.” Beth began her career with the Walt Disney World organization in corporate communications, helping the world understand “how Disney does what it does.” She was part of the illustrious team that opened Walt Disney World in Orlando in 1971. This lead to a 35-yr career career in marketing and corporate culture building and a deep dedication to taking care of the people on her team.  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

The youngest Latina ever to run a nationally endowed philanthropic foundation, this inspiring daughter of immigrants, Dr. Carmen Rojas, has dedicated her life to bettering the lives of underserved working people across the US. Growing up in a sprawling, multicultural family, surrounded by love and core values, instilled in Carmen a deep sense of promise. “For me, it’s really about supporting people, organizations and initiatives that create an alternative possibility where it’s not a zero sum game but where instead we are seen as collectively coming together in order to fill the promise of a multiracial democracy," says Carmen. Now, as president & CEO of The Marguerite Casey Foundation, this visionary, dreamer and truth-teller puts the money where it matters to support leaders, scholars and initiatives focused on shifting the balance of power in society — building power for communities that continue to be excluded from shaping how society works … and from sharing in its rewards and freedoms. She holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and was a Fulbright Scholar in 2007. Her 2021 Seattle Times editorial, "How philanthropies can support grassroots social movements," exemplifies her purpose-driven life, awash in much-needed optimism. Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Wayne Irwin evolved his electrician trade into a radio broadcast engineer and now, a solar energy entrepreneur.  Wayne owns Pure Energy Solar in Gainesville, Florida and his company creates innovative products that help bring solar power to the world. Last year, Wayne followed his passion for music and launched his own radio station, WMBT "The Wombat" 90.1FMl in Gainesville, FL. "Gainesville's Locally Driven Radio is also streaming  worldwide on www.wmbt901.com, playing every flavor of music and building passionate community along the way. Whether he's harnessing the sun or taking your eclectic musical request, this devoted father, husband, inventor and entrepreneur, success is about continually evolving and staying focused on the things that matter most in life.  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Steff Florentina grew up in Nova Scotia, the daughter of an excellent tennis player who introduced her to the sport at age 5. “My life was tennis. When we weren't playing tennis, we were watching tennis, or going over areas that I could improve. My typical schedule growing up was wake up at 5, drive 35 minutes to the tennis courts, be on the courts from 6:00-8:00, make it to school just in time ... , play tennis during lunch (rain or shine), play tennis after school from 4-6. Eat, do homework, watch tennis and do it all again." When her devotion to tennis began to wane in her teens, she had some hard choices to make. This episode deals with the tricky terrain of expectations, our own and those that love us ... and how we must find our way through these choices. Tennis is still a massive part of Steff's life, only now, it's 100% on her terms. Follow her @steff.florentina and @alexandsteff and www.alexandsteff.com  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Swan Dive started in March of 2020 and we recorded our first episodes in a pre-COVID world.  In this episode, we look aback at the moment Ron first took his dive.   As the year winds down, what small change can you make?  What big change is ahead of you?  Looking ahead while finding value in examining where we have been, take a leap and join us on Swan Dive.   Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Criminal defense attorney and award-winning novelist, Jon Miller, has tried cases in all but one of New Mexico's far-flung counties. He knows the grit and grind of the criminal mind. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a vision of practicing environmental law, Jon studied Urban & Regional planning at Cornell, went to law school and then worked at the Dept of Interior in DC, until budget cuts sent him packing back to NM, where he landed a gig as a Public Defender in Roswell. Yes, that Roswell. On the drive down to Roswell, Jon saw a road sign that read "Watch for Rattlesnakes.” This inspired him to write a book called Rattlesnake Lawyer. He’s written 13 novels to date. Still an active criminal defense attorney, his law firm is named Rattlesnake Law.  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Welcome to Swan Dive Revive, a reflective pause to look back at where we were to better understand how far we’ve come in our ever-evolving journeys. Today we revisit May 5, 2020, the episode titled, Unfinished. Ron was just about to leave his successful career as the pandemic hit. As the world experienced a collective pivot, we discuss his virtual going away party and the then-novel idea of being together in lockdown “doing nothing” with loved ones. Much has happened since. Yet, so much remains Unfinished … for all of us. We continue to explore the critical questions: "Who do you want to be? And what are you going to do about it?" Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

The documentary film project, Capetown Legends, described Conrad Hicks as “an artist, self-taught master blacksmith and conservationist that is merging many worlds in his distinctive work.” Based in Capetown, S Africa, Conrad specializes in hand-forged metalwork to produce his sculptures and architectural and interior design projects. His forge is housed in The Bijou, an old Art Deco cinema, which he bought and began restoring in 1998. Conrad asserts “that all traditional blacksmithing jointing methods have innate metaphorical meaning adding to the final symbolic meaning of the finished form.” His much-sought-after designs are as beautiful as they are functional and energetically magical. Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Tiffany Manning was cruising along with a satisfying job in the art department of an ad agency when the layoff happened.  She looked at the change of career as a gift and quickly changed gears, making moves as a commercial photographer.  But with Tiffany, it’s all about movement and there was one more move she needed to make - a fine artist. When she finally found the courage to make that declaration out loud, everything changed. “I lovingly refer to my studio practice as the art of allowing. I am creating to be present in my body,” says this painter, photographer and visual storyteller." Now that she lives out loud, Tiffany has been working hard over the last 6 years to refine her voice. Connect with Tiffany on Instagram:@tmannphoto  @squareshapedlove @femininesoulproject  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Artist, Julie Miller Torres, specializes in printmaking. Trained as a lawyer, from a family of lawyers, Torres practiced law for seven years. She was good at her job and enjoyed her clients. But something was missing. At 34, she left her law career to start over in fine art at the prestigious, Savannah College of Art and Design ("SCAD"), where she earned a BFA in Printmaking. A few years out of art school, her career was beginning to get traction, when Covid hit. Undaunted, she turned to social media to promote her work. Five years after leaving art school, Torres created a series of screen prints of Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A New York collector saw one of these works on Instagram and purchased it. This collector had connections to the Metropolitan Museum of Art who then reached out to Torres and purchased another of the RBG pieces for its permanent collection. That piece, titled "Superdiva" is currently on exhibition at The Met thru next year in an exhibit called “Revolution, Resistance and Activism.”  Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us

Hank Willis Thomas is one of the most consequential artists of this moment. Clear and incisive, his work is exhilarating to stand in front of and proves, time and again, that he has accessed his better angels. "Throughout his career, Hank Willis Thomas has addressed the visual systems that perpetuate inequality and bias in bold, skillfully crafted works. Through photographs, sculpture, video, and collaborative public art projects, he invites us to consider the role of popular culture in instituting discrimination and how art can raise critical awareness in the ongoing struggle for social justice and civil rights," reads the bio from his 2019 retrospective at the Portland Art Museum. Hank co-founded For Freedoms and the Wide Awakes, pioneering a new platform in collaborative creative engagement and activism. His work is included in numerous public collections including the MOMA, the Guggenheim, Whitney National Gallery in D.C. and many others. He has a beautiful young family and lives and works in NY.   Share your Swan Dive at www.swandive.us