Season 2 - Becoming Fearless with Jim Wolfe - Episode 14

Jim Wolfe

Jim Wolfe is deeply passionate about sharing the tools, techniques, and mindset shifts that have transformed his life with his clients and he loves hearing their success stories even more.
Jim doesn’t want to motivate you for a few hours or days. He wants your life to be permanently better after you connect with him.
As part of that commitment to you, Jim is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. His best-selling books include Level Up, 7 Keys to Being a Total Badass, and Attract and Keep Her.
Jim was born and raised in the United States. However, Colombia, Turkey, Costa Rica, and Thailand remind him of delicious food, welcoming people, rich history, gorgeous water, overnight trains, and lifelong memories. He’s obsessed with reading, writing, learning, travel, and personal growth…
He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does he prefers Guinness…
And he absolutely LOVES college football…
Beyond his practical experience working with clients from over 37 countries and 13+ years of intense study in the fields of personal development and interpersonal relationships, Jim also earned his M.A. in Communication and B.B.A. in Business Economics from Boise State University.

Show Notes: 

• Jim Wolfe Site
• Jim's Amazon Page
• Book Recommendations - Pyscho-Cybernetics, The Genius in all of us

Jim Wolfe

Season 2 - Leadership, Coaching and Family Values with Jon Gonzalez - Episode 13

Jon Gonzalez

Born and raised in Washington and currently a Partner (“owner”) at Deloitte – which is the largest professional services firm in the world.

Jon works with Tech and Life Sciences companies including startups in both an audit and advisory capacity. He especially loves working with startups including helping them through the Initial Public Offering process. He leads the recruiting process for the firm and enjoys creating an inclusive culture in Seattle for the Audit and Assurance practice.

Jon is passionate about children especially in education and sports: He serves as a Treasurer at the Brightwater Waldorf School which is focused on cultivating creative minds, capable hands, and compassionate hearts.

In his spare time, he coaches children's baseball teams. At work and in his personal life, Jon is committed to leadership and personal development, connection, and contribution.  He loves spending time outdoors and traveling.

He has been married to Kim and is a father of three young/energetic boys – Julian – 10, Quinn – 8, and Dominic – 5.

Show Notes:

Book Recommendations: Think and Grow Rich

Season 1 - Healing Cancer and a Commitment to Thrive with Jemma Brown - Bonus Episode 12

Jemma Brown

Jemma Brown is an independent graphic designer, avid salsa dancer and health nut. She also founded a group called the Seattle Super Huggers, in hopes of healing people one hug at a time! 

Currently she is celebrating 11 years cancer -free after having stage 4 cancer not once, but twice! Jemma is passionate about health, well being, and loves sharing a wealth of knowledge on the subject as well as helping people connect to the best resources who can help outside of her scope.

Show Notes:

• Jemma Brown Graphic Design and Creative Services
• Maiensy Sanchez (teacher of dance)        
• Gene Keys (Book)

Jemma Brown

Season 1- Wisdom of Friends - Welcome Message - Episode 011

Kal Aras

"Every adversity, every failure,every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit" ~ Napoleon Hill

Dear Friends, 

I am Kal Aras (Kaushal Aras) and I want to welcome you to the Season 1 of Wisdom of Friends

Some of you may wonder - What is Wisdom of Friends?

Well - Wisdom of Friends- is a talk show where I interview fascinating, inspiring and eclectic people in our community who are living extraordinary lives; capture and share their wisdom and celebrate their life.

We dig deeper into their life's journey;  their goals, their struggles, and their aspirations. We discover how they came to identify their purpose, their values, and their philosophy on life, success, and contribution.

As the Zen practitioners would say - having a beginner's mind helps see possibilities and my goal with these interviews is to extract the wisdom from these conversations, apply it and share it.

Why did I start this show?

The reason I started this show was to bring together people I have known in my life - my social circle, my professional network and my community. Over the years, I have soaked in their wisdom; these individuals with their stand for making a difference in their circle of influence and beyond; have in turn made a difference in my life through their inspiring vision and message, their pursuit of excellence, and comebacks when life had dished out challenges in the form of curve balls - be it a debilitating disease, abuse, bankruptcy, divorce or a death of a loved one. They found a way - the grit to not succumb to these setbacks but instead figured out a way to bounce back with success, build character and alter their destiny with powerful choices. They have shown us to how to keep on living a life fully, powerfully and joyfully. And this is my humble attempt to capture their stories and wisdom as an acknowledgement to these amazingly wonderful people.

Folks - these are the stories of men and women who like you and me are just ordinary people but continue to embark on an extraordinary journey and inspire people in their lives and their community to do the same.

Once again, I welcome you to the Season 1 of Wisdom of Friends show. And, if you like what you hear, please share, don't be shy. I'd also appreciate if you can give us a five star rating so that we can share this podcast with a bigger audience.

Thank You!

Season 1 - Transcending Failure and Transformational Leadership with Jim McLaughlin - Episode 10

Jim McLaughlin

Over the past 20 years, Jim McLaughlin has been on a journey to reinvent everything in his life. He had to. Nothing was working. All his strategies for "making it" in life were tapped out, or based on weak assumptions.

From being an unemployed, divorced, lonely, and cynical man at mid-life, Jim has gone on to explore three different career paths and created a family: an AMAZING wife and two wonderful teenage boys. He's settled on Executive Coaching and Management Consulting as the career he was born and bred for, helping business owners and their managers go beyond the obstacles that stand in the way of their success. 

Along the way he's led a community leadership program administered by CSU San Marcos, founded TEDxTemecula, a locally organized TED event (now in its sixth year), founded a Toastmasters club and a Gavel club for teens, served on the board of trustees at his church and was recently elected president of the Temecula Valley Symphony. He even MC'd a fashion show this past spring

Jim is a native of southern California and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of the Pacific and went on to work on offshore oil platforms prior to beginning work on his master's degree. He then switched from petroleum geology to engineering geology, helping to make the ground we live and work on, safe. He worked also in software development as a programmer and then project manager, developing training programs for Fortune 100 companies. He received a Master of Business Administration in 2005 from San Diego State University.

He lives in Temecula, California with his wife, Peg, and sons, Seth and Daniel. 

Season 1 - Transforming One Community, One Household, & One Family at a time with David Albert - Episode 09

David Albert

David Albert is co-founder and Board Chairman of Friendly Water for the World. In 2012, he retired from a career in public health, took one day off to put new tires on, and hasn’t missed a day since. David was also the founder of New Society Publishers is the author of 11 books, used to write a regular column “My Word” for Life Learning Magazine, and is an itinerant storyteller. He has also founded three foundations, and has worked on and off in India for 40 years. A Quaker, he is energized by his grounded activism, and, with a life lived well, he doesn’t believe burn-out exists. He holds degrees from Williams College, Oxford University, and the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, but will trade any of them for exotic musical instruments. He likes sushi and salads, but will eat sautéed spiders in Cambodia.

Friendly Water for the World’s mission is to expand global access to low-cost clean water technologies and information about health and sanitation through knowledge-sharing, training, applied research, community-building, peacemaking, and efforts at sustainability. We empower communities abroad to take care of their own clean water needs, even as we empower people here to make a real difference.

Our vision is of healthy, self-sustaining, empowered, peaceful communities both here and abroad, sharing our knowledge with each other, with life and hope restored through clean water.

David Albert

Season 1 - Health, Well Being and Life Transformation with Margaret Bhola - Episode 008

Margaret Bhola

Margaret Bhola has an extensive background in business, sales and marketing, and human relations. As a management consultant for the past 20 years, she has worked with business teams as a leader, speaker, and trainer at the national level. Margaret excels in executive and entrepreneurial coaching that produces breakthrough results not only in business but also in the lives of those she supports. She was a top national sales producer for several large companies, and for eight years, a school teacher and principal.Margaret has mentored micro-credit foundations, helping them to expand to a global presence. She has raised funds for numerous non-profit organizations including: San Diego Children’s Choir, YMCA, Girl Scouts, and religious organizations. Her love of philanthropy has driven her to participate on several non-profit boards including the San Diego Women’s Foundation. Margaret has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri.

For the past 16 years, Margaret has been a health and wellness advocate for individuals, families, and businesses. Her passion for prevention and giving the body the tools it needs to protect and heal itself led to her coauthoring “Women I Want to Grow Old With,” a book on women’s wellness and friendship.

Margaret stands for a world in which everyone experiences themselves as unstoppable in living healthy, vital, and fulfilled lives.

Season 1 - Tea, Tranquility and Poetry with Dharlene Marie Fahl - Episode 007

Dharlene Marie Fahl

Dharlene Marie Fahl is a best-selling author, poetess, inspirational speaker and certified tea specialist.

Who would have thought?

Thirteen years, Ms. Fahl asked two questions: "What is tea, anyway?" And, "Why was tea associated with spirituality and tranquility?"

Little did she know that in seeking the answers to those, seemingly simple questions, her entire life would change!

Dharlene Marie is a:

Level 3+ Certified Tea Specialist with the Specialty Tea Institute of America.

Participant of the inauguration class of the American Tea Masters Association 2008, which is now a global association.

Tea Travels to:

China (2007) -- delegate with the Tea Association of America

India (2010) -- speaker at the first Indian Tea Forum, Darjeeling

Japan (2011) -- goodwill tea ambassador to Shizuoka

Dharlene Marie intuitively knew that connecting tea and spirituality was the path to an inner journey for self-discovery, self-healing, and self-love -- that our greatest wisdom is within.

Her first book “Sereni-Tea: Seven Sips to BLISS,” is currently available on Amazon.

Now, an author turned publisher, she is the founder of RED POPPY PRESS -- Publishers of Positive Words -- through which she will publish her next inspirational books. 

As a tea trainer, and working with many tea shop employees, Dharlene Marie was given the title, Tea Goddess. It's one she embraces!

Her message to people is, “In the time it takes to mindfully sip a cup of tea, you can calm your mind, change your thoughts, discover your purpose, and claim the greatness of your life!” 

Dharlene Marie has received The President's Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama for a lifetime of volunteer service with various groups of all ages.

Show Notes:

• Book Recommendations: Conversations with Gods
• Dharlene Marie Fahl: Amazon Author Page, DMF Website, Red Poppy Press

Season 1 - Transforming Body and Mind with Joelene Ashker - Episode 006

Joelene Ashker

Transformation Coach, inspirational speaker and columnist,  Joelene Ashker has coached thousands of clients to create customized, healthy habits and stick to them - personally and professionally.
Joelene shares practices that helped her recover from severe depression, profound fear and anxiety, grief and unhealthy relationships. 
Today Joelene lives joyfully with a healthy body, mind and spirit and continues to provide tools to others for reducing stress and living happily, despite life’s challenges.

Season 1 - Self Centered Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Community Service with Jackie Bailey - Episode 005

Jackie Bailey

Jackie Bailey strives to be selfish and self-centered. In fact, her mission is to help as many people as possible achieve the same characteristics. To this end, Jackie speaks to, trains, and mentors business owners, teams, individuals and youth.

Jackie’s influence has left its mark on audiences throughout the world in the following ways:

·       As Founder and President of Emerald City Consulting since 2007

·       As a local director of the largest communication-focused non-profit organization in the world – Toastmasters International from 2009 to 2013

·       As a 2015 semi-finalist in The World Championship of Public Speaking – putting Jackie in the top 98 speakers of 33,000 competitors

·       As a facilitator of communication/leadership workshops for youth ages 10-17

Jackie Bailey is the author of SELF Centered Leadership: Becoming Influential, Intentional, and Exceptional published in 2014. Her book is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

It’s not only okay to be selfish and self-centered; Jackie will tell you why you should be, and how to develop the characteristics necessary to be self-employed, and self-reliant in four SELF-Centered principles.

Show Notes:

• LinkedIn Profile: Jackie Bailey
• Consulting - Emerald City Consulting, Youth Workshops
• Recommendations: Toastmasters International, Jeanne Robertson

Season 1 - Faith, Belief and Social Identity with Randy Stimpson - Episode 004

 Randy Stimpson

When Randy was born his mother and father were only 15 and 17. They married and divorced before he could remember, neither graduating from high school. At the age of 12, Randy was reintroduced to his father who communicated to him the Mexican work ethic and the value of extended family.  Randy's mother was alcoholic and bipolar but also very altruistic and liberal with love, acceptance, and forgiveness. At the age of 14 Randy, though raised in a non-religious home, converted to Christianity and by the time he finished high school wanted to become a minister but also was strongly pulled to be a Math Professor. Early in college, he had to choose and he chose math which later led him into computer science.

After graduating from the University of Washington with a Masters Degree in Applied Math and Computer Science, Randy began his career as a software engineer. More significantly though, Randy focused on applying his Christian faith to issues of justice. As part of his commitment, he vowed to never use his engineering skills to make something that kills people. He also served as a World Concern Alpha Group member. sponsored refugees from Eritrea and Poland through World Relief, and served as Bread for the World's second district coordinator for the state of Washington. In his mid-thirties, Randy shed his Christianity but not his belief in God and his pursuit of justice.

Randy's favorite strategy to pursue justice is to make friends, because friendship leads to empathy and understanding, which in turn lead to peace and justice.

Season 1 - Overcoming Grief and Pain with Resilience - Joel Holc- Episode 003

Joel Holc

Joel Holc was born in Argentina. 

At age 3 he moved to Israel with his family.  After a childhood in Israel, he spent his early 20’s traveling the world;  mostly in Europe and South America  

He ended up in New York and decided to live in United States

As a child he grew up with dyslexia and it heavily shaped his point of view towards life. 

Joel got married in his late 20’s and had two children. Shortly thereafter the marriage ended and he raised his children as a single dad

By his late 30’s, he was diagnosed with MS.  For a couple of years, he was treated with conventional medicine 

When he heard the news of his diagnosis, he sold his business and went into the real estate business.  A second marriage happened during this period and when that relationship ended, he started his awakening with a commitment toward health and spirituality. 

After having only a little success with conventional medicine, he decided to start his journey of healing himself organically; emotionally, spiritually, & mentally.

Today he lives pain free and has been blessed with opportunity to work with multiple people in supporting them in healing themselves.  

Joel is currently working on a book of his life’s journey. He enjoys his real estate profession and also the role of a life coach.

Season 1 - Championship, Winning & Coaching with Michelle Berteotti- Episode 002

Michelle Berteotti

14-year Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) veteran Missie Berteotti achieved great things as a collegiate and professional golfer, and now spends her time as an advocate for women; conducting Business Golf Academies for women and also coaching women on achieving and maintaining financial balance in their lives. In her golf academies, Missie talks about training and trusting and how to achieve peak performance. At the underlying core of all her coaching is the focus on the fundamental principles of her Mental Mastery Program TM which she has written about in her book The Mental Mastery Program -From the Classroom to the Course to Life.  Missie’s daily schedule involves teaching golf and working as a financial representative for The Luttner Financial Group.

During her 14 years on the LPGA tour, Berteotti won over 1 million dollars by winning the Ping Welch’s Classic in 1996 and placing in the top 10 on numerous occasions. While traveling on the tour, Berteotti served as an instructor in numerous junior golf clinics administered by the LPGA tour in different cities each week. Since leaving the tour, Missie has worked with juniors and adults as a golf instructor at Rolling Hills Country Club in Peters Township, Pennsylvania and now at Scallys Golf Center.  As a golf instructor, she continues to improve her skills by attending seminars and being a member of many professional associations. In 2012, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pittsburgh Youth Golf Foundation. Missie takes a broad approach to her sport; Berteotti has studied Iyengar yoga, worked at nationally known golf schools, worked for 7 years received her national certificate in Therapeutic Massage, received her certification as a TPI, Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness Instructor, and she was certified by Dr. Rick Jensen as a Certified Mental Golf Coach. This is an elite group of coaches whom are specifically trained to coach the mental skills of competition. In August 2013, Missie was named as the first ever Women’s Varsity Golf Coach at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University. Missie recruited and started a women’s golf program to add to the university’s athletic program. Additionally, Missie enjoys honing her communication skills as a Toastmaster and obtained her ACS Advanced Communication Silver Award the summer of 2014.  To round out her coaching skills, she spent 7 years serving as a coach in a Six-month Leadership Program for Landmark Worldwide. In the November 2013 issue of Golf Digest magazine, Missie was rated as one of the top 10 teachers in her state of Pennsylvania. Golf Digest prepares the list every two years, polling more than 1,000 teaching professionals for their opinions on their peers. It is the only list of top teachers voted on by the teachers themselves.

Missie’s daily schedule involves balancing and blending her golf instruction and working as a financial representative for The Luttner Financial Group.

The Luttner Group also advocates for women and Missie serves as the firm’s liaison for getting women access to a network of trusted female financial representative to make informed financial decisions.

Berteotti, who is a graduate of Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, won back-to-back Pennsylvania State Championships from 1980- 1981.  She then attended the University of Miami, where she had a successful collegiate career, highlighted by medalist honors at the 1984 NCAA championship.  Missie still resides in Pittsburgh, Pa today where she enjoys being with her family and large community of friends.

Season 1 - Shine your Light with Jim Sultan - Episode 001

Jim Sultan

Now retired from a thirty-six year career in architectural lighting, Jim Sultan served as Studio Lux Vice President/Manager and senior designer. Jim brought exceptional knowledge and fresh ideas for architectural lighting design to the Pacific Northwest.

As Studio Manager, Jim worked to ensure that every project leverages the talents of the entire Studio Lux team. By thoroughly understanding the design intent of architects and the creative vision of interior designers and owners, he guides work with over 1000 manufacturers and fixture design concepts and applies thinking to the studio lighting solutions. Other than his design expertise, his strongest skill set lies in communicating with clients, design teams and vendors to ensure that each project was successfully completed.

Jim has actively served in numerous leadership positions for the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America - at the local, regional and national levels, and continues to serve on several committees. Jim has also taught numerous lighting design courses throughout the Southern California region and on the national stage at LIGHTFAIR International. While running his own company in San Diego prior to moving to Seattle, he taught lighting design practices to interior designers and architects at several community and specialty colleges.

In his private life, Jim is an active member of Toastmasters International, has served on the International Board of Directors, and has three times achieved Toastmasters International’s highest educational award of Distinguished Toastmaster.

Upon retirement, Jim opened a consulting company gearing towards training management and sales teams on communication and leadership skills and the art of effective presentations.

Jim can be reached at: www.connect4effect.net | Jim Sultan | 206.730.0749 | jsultan@connect4effect.net

Jim Sultan