Elevated You Podcast

Welcome to another episode of "Elevated You." In this episode, we delve into a topic that affects us all in some way - bullying.

Guests Alex Schwartz and Nate Thompson, co-hosts of "The Disrupted Workforce Podcast," share their personal experiences with bullying and shed light on its prevalence in the workplace.

Alex Schwartz and Nate Thompson, hosts of "The Disrupted Workforce join us to discuss their experiences with workplace bullying and how it inspired their mission to help workers navigate the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace.

My personal story of being bullied resonated with Nate and Alex after I opened up about it at a networking event we all attended. At first I was apprehensive to share my own bullying experience, yet overcoming this fear led to a profound connection and a shared commitment to addressing bullying.

Key takeaways from this episode:

1. Bullying Knows No Boundaries:

   • Bullying can happen to anyone, regardless of age, profession, or background.

2. Workplace Bullying Awareness:

   • The discussion underscores the importance of vigilance in recognizing and addressing bullying within professional environments.

3. Empowering Through Awareness:

   • The episode emphasizes the power of awareness in educating individuals about the detrimental effects of bullying, both personally and professionally.

4. The Courage to Share:

   • Guests encourage listeners to find the courage to share their own experiences, fostering a sense of solidarity and breaking the silence surrounding bullying.

5. Healing Through Unity:

   • Finding healing together is emphasized as a central theme. The conversation highlights the strength that comes from supporting one another in overcoming the scars of bullying.

This episode of "Elevated You" with Alex Schwartz and Nate Thompson provides a candid and insightful conversation about the pervasive issue of workplace bullying. Through personal stories and professional insights, they offer hope and practical strategies for navigating this challenging terrain.

*This episode contains sensitive content, including discussions of rape, abuse, and bullying. Listener discretion is advised.

My next guest is a dear friend of mine, standup comedian and all around go getter, Ben Currier. Ben Currier is the self proclaimed world's number one fail your guy, and is the host of the ironically successful "Failure Guy" podcast. I've had the honor to be on his show and I'm so excited to share this episode with you where Ben talks about how he has failed and how he's turned all of his failures into his fuel.

Ben shares that the most challenging times in his life and the hardest things he's endured has ultimately helped him reach success. Get ready to laugh and learn how to embrace your failures. I grew up in the witch city, Salem, Massachusetts. Love that. And then I lived for a long, long while, went to college, got a master's in business.

Welcome to Elevated You with me, your host, Kay Cote. Today, we delve into the inspiring world of Riser, led by the dynamic duo, Matt Worthington and Christian Smith. Join us as we explore the magic of connection, building thriving communities, and the wisdom of embracing personal growth.

Grab your tickets to the upcoming Riser Mega Networking event here:

When life presents you with challenges, it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. On this episode learn how Dustin Caputo, otherwise known as DJ Dillz as he shared how he pulled himself out of two major hard times in his life. He recently moved his life across the country to plant roots in Austin, TX to pursue his dreams of performing on stage at the biggest festivals to help people forget about their problems, have fun and enjoy the music.

The will to dream and the determination to change. How you live life for YOU and no one else

Asking for help is something that can be hard to do, yet when allow ourselves to ask for help, we gain so much. When we are open to receiving help, we can overcome obstacles that are in our way. On this episode, hear from my business coach, Kim Nagle, as we share our personal journeys and how asking for help along the way has helped us strategize, optimize and level up in both business and life.

Kim truly believes that people are capable of taking authority over their lives and deserve the life they have always dreamt of – they just need a DAMN Plan and the courage to work the DAMN Plan. I know this for a fact. I wrote the book, The DAMN Plan® How To Find Freedom, Love, And Money In Your Business. 

Today’s guest is a fellow fitness instructor and podcaster, Laura Mak Quist. When I met Laura, I knew right away that we’d hit it off and be instant friends. Laura has a background in exercise science and works to help women reset their hormones, reshape their bodies, and renew their mind, with the proven Yoga FitLife method. 

In this episode Laura and I uncover the 3 ways to elevate our mind and body by resetting reshaping and renewing.

Key Takeaways

• Discover the mind-body connection
• Tips to reset your hormones
• Reshape your body through mindset
• Renew your mind, body and spirit
• Learn trusted tactics that work

Do you want to get more out of life? Do you crave to understand yourself better so you can tap into your potential for greatness? If this sounds like you, this episode is going to fire you up to pursue more what you want in life, understand yourself better and set up a framework for success that works for you.

Discover how to face your fears and take on new challenges to level up. We all know life is hard, and on this episode my guest Angela Proffitt share a framework for success that helps you get stuff done without burnout.

Angela Proffitt is a business and wellness coach with a no-holds barred approach to always finding a way to make things happen. Being raised in a small town in Tennessee with an undercover drug detective as a father and a God-fearing woman as a momma, she was sheltered. She was unaware that there was this world of successful entrepreneurs who start their own businesses, who have control of their days, and who make a lot of money doing it. And now she's proud to be this short, little, blonde girl who has taken a hobby and turned it into an award-winning 8-figure business where now she can dedicate my time and energy to helping you do the same.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover your framework for success
• Learn how to adopt a growth mindset
• Know and honor your capacity to take things on
• Uncover your traits and tendencies to better understand how you work
• Tap into your productivity powerhouse

Have you ever wondered how to minimize distractions to maximize how to get the most out of your time? Time is your most precious resource. How we allow things to take up space in our life impacts us in many ways. At times, differentiation between what is life giving and what is depleting can be challenging. On this episode hear from business owner, dancer and single mom, Monica Landois, as she shares how she finds harmony to find success in everyday life. She also shares pain points she’s overcome to elevate her growth in both business and personal life.  

Monica Monica Landois, a Mompreneneur who inspires passionate living and fun movement in her unique fitness classes in Austin.  With over 13 years of experience, she is passionate about helping others build confidence through dance and movement. She creates a healing space that empowers you and leaves you wanting more. As a bilingual Austinite, she encourages people from diverse backgrounds to confidently create their own space. She collaborates with local artists, high school dance teams, and businesses, making her a true jack of all trades in the world of dance and fitness. Join her distinctive and fun classes for an experience that will change your life.

On this episode discover:

• Get more Effective time management
• Create systems that work for you to get the most out of your time
• Eliminate distractions and find focus
• Create more expansion in your life 
• Maximize our brain power and reach your potential every day

Do you want to find the courage to tell your story, but don’t know how? If putting yourself out there is something you struggle with, tune in for this candid conversation with myself and fellow podcaster, Kelly Smith to shed light on the experience of life as podcasters putting ourselves out there in the public speaking world. Earlier this year both Kelly and I spoke at a podcasting conference – Podfest – in Orlando, FL. 

This experience was the first time I opened up about the why behind my show and opened my eyes to find the strength in sharing my personal story. 

On this episode discover:

• Find peace in being uncomfortable
• Have the courage to take the stage in your life
• Honor where you are at on your journey
• What it truly means to be fearless
• How to share your story to get to know yourself
• How your story can have a positive impact on others
• Be open to self discovery

Ask yourself this question: Think about 40 years from now looking back at your life and ask yourself, are you fulfilled with how you lived your life in the last 40 years. Do you feel you’ve pursued your purpose? Maybe you feel stuck on a wheel of repetition doing all the things yet still are unfulfilled? Maybe you have fears that hold you back from even trying? If being comfortable making you complacent, this episode is for you.

Sabine Kvenberg is an author, singer/songwriter, certified Life Purpose Life Coach, a DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster), and Founder of Communication Coaching Center. Formerly she was a stage and TV actress in Europe, a producer, and a director. For the past ten years, she has helped thousands of entrepreneurs land more clients by becoming more confident communicators - both on and off camera... so they can create the freedom-filled life they dream of.

Episode Highlights:

• Open your mind to opportunities
• Find clarity in your life to create a life you want to live
• Understand how your mind works influences how you form habits
• How to pursue your dream with confidence
• From corporate business to successful acting career and now a business coach
• Know how to pursue ideas in a fruitful way

Do you struggle defining your personal style? Did you know that you can build your confidence through your personal style? Style can be tricky because you often don't know where to begin or how to define what style means for you. That's exactly where I was until I started asking myself what I want when it comes to not only what I wear, but my lifestyle a whole.

Madeleine Elizabeth is the founder and CEO of the M.E. Directive, a luxury lifestyle firm in Los Angeles that focuses on helping clients find their authentic style to promote internal and external confidence. 

On this episode discover:

• How to hit the ok button on investing in yourself
• Embrace when you look good, you feel good
• Celebrate your unique qualities through your style
• Embrace your authenticity
• The top three tips you can do right now to find a style that works for you

Today on the show we're covering two controversial topics, sex and alcohol. But we're going to be talking about them from a perspective with health and wellbeing in mind. We're going to be talking about alcohol from the angle of sobriety and how my guest, Lora Harris, overcame her addition to alcohol to transform her life from failing to flourishing. Then we deep dive into the topic of sex and the potential health benefits of sex. 

Key Takeaways: 

Welcome to this episode of the podcast, where we'll be discussing the importance of perseverance in achieving your goals and dreams.

Have you ever been discouraged after hearing a "no" or facing setbacks? Our guest, Tamika Reid, has a powerful message for you. She suggests being as relentless as a cockroach after a nuclear war.

In this episode, we'll explore what it means to be relentless and how you can adopt this mindset in your own life. One of the first steps is to develop a growth mindset, which means embracing challenges and seeing failures as opportunities for growth.

We'll also discuss the importance of setting clear goals that align with your values and passions. Breaking them down into smaller steps can make them more manageable and help you celebrate each milestone along the way.

Another crucial aspect of being relentless is surrounding yourself with a supportive network of mentors and like-minded individuals. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it; reaching out for assistance is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Join us as we explore the power of perseverance and how you can cultivate a relentless mindset to achieve your goals and dreams.

In this episode, my conversation with Michael Unbroken will inspire you to see through your excuse and hit the start button on your life. You’ll also learn how to conquer fears that hold you back from success.

Michael’s young life was struck with deep trauma and abuse.  and at the age of 13 he found himself face first in a full on drug addiction and identity crisis. For the next 15 years his life was filled with hardships including addiction, emotional disorders, obesity and ultimately a total breakdown.

It is through the foundational principles of his platform, Think Unbroken, that Michael has been able to get out this vortex and take his life back by understanding and overcoming childhood trauma. He reminds us that though trauma may be your foundation, it doesn’t have to be your future.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Adopt a no excuses, just results mindset
• Decide to hit the start button on your life
• Stop lying to yourself about what you want in life
• Understanding the fears you have and how to conquer them
• Invest in yourself
• Find ways to start over in life
• Take inventory of of your life

Do you find yourself feeling tired, overwhelmed and unable to feel fulfilled? Do you want to stop resisting who you are and your true purpose? Do you get stuck This episode will help you discover a breakthrough to help change your life and allow for you to find success. The secret to finding success is to consider the the art of surrender. 

There are many misconceptions to what it means to surrender. We often take surrender is that we are getting less in life, yet, what if surrendering is the key to manifesting your dreams and goals and align with who you truly are.

Kute Blackson is a transformational teacher and best selling author. In his book, The Magic of Surrender helps us change our thought process to discover who you truly are. 

Key Takeaways

• Learn the truth behind what it means to surrender
• Lean into who you truly are
• Discover what you want in life
• Gain self acceptance and love
• Align with your purpose
• Find fulfillment 

Learn more about Kute Blackson here:

Are you at a place in your life where you know you need to make a change to turn things around, yet you don't know how? This conversation is for you. On this episode Hear how after suffering in his youth at the hands of his abusive step father, Wally Green made the hardest decision of his life at the young age of 16. Today, Wally is a celebrity athlete spreading diplomacy across the world through the sport of ping pong as well as sharing his story to help change lives. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Discover your authenticity
• Know the impact you have by sharing your story
• Tune into your inner guidance to make big choices
• Plant seeds for positive outcomes
• How to step away from old ways of thinking to embrace a new version of yourself
• Discover the power of love and compassion

Sometimes life gives us opportunities that scare us and cause us to want to give up. My conversation with broadway actress, Salisha Thomas, shares how she had the courage to get back into acting post-pandemic. Salisha's courage is inspiring and reminds us all that we, too, can take on any challenge and go for our dreams and goals. 

Salisha Thomas Made her Broadway debut in Beautiful the Carole King Musical and slated to swing the new Britney Spears Musical, Salisha is a former Miss California and former vocalist for Disney currently residing in NYC with her husband Andrew.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn to trust yourself and find strength to get through any challenge
• Use your previous experiences to fuel you forward
• Have the courage to go for when life hands you an opportunity that is outside of your comfort zone.
• How to find community and share love and light with others
• How to embrace your quirks and celebrate your authenticity
• How to find your confidence when meeting new people
• Learn how to find more joy life
• Learn how to ask what you’re worth in your professional career

Does your inner critic hold you back from seeing opportunities around you? Do you feel stuck, tired and unsure of which way to go? This episode is for you. On this episode learn how to embrace an abundance mindset so you can believe and receive opportunities that are around you. 

On part 2 of this episode hear a conversation from myself and fellow podcasters, Jodi Krangle, voice actor at Piece of Cake Voiceovers and host of the Audio Branding Podcast and Fernando Pires, engineer and president of Audiosigma, who's mission is to help bring ease to podcasters on the go.

Key Takeaways:

• How to embrace an abundance mindset
• Believe in yourself to receive
• How to have courage to take on things that scare you
• Conquer the fear of rejection
• How to use intension setting to get you where you want to go

BONUS PART 2

• A live podcast conversation with Jodi, Fernando and Kay
• What podcasting means to each of us
• How we use podcasting for good
• Podcasting hardware innovations

Today hear from military vet, activist and humanitarianism and public speaker Mark J. Lindquist. Today he joins me from an airport between locations as he continues his mission to raise awareness and support for the country of Ukraine.His recent Operation Sleep Out was a 16 night 17 day camp out in sub zero temps in attempts to raise awareness and supplies for the troops and families in Ukraine who suffer in cold weather and power outages. His work has grabbed attention world wide and has been featured in Forbes , Voice of America, Daily Caller, The Star Tribune.

On today’s episode, Mark shares about his mission and the passion he has for the people of Ukraine. Mark and I share our candid conversation about his mission as well as how you can ignite passion in your own life.

Key Takeaways:

• How to adapt and overcome to endure challenges
• How to develop an idea to bring it to its fullest potential
• Have the courage to do something for a cause
• If you have a big enough why you can live with any what
• Overcome complacency and find inspiration in your life
• How to get past excuses that are in your way
• Discover untapped resources to help move your mission forward
• Tap into your passion to ignite your power to tackle any challenge life throws at you

Learn more about Mark and how you can get involved with his mission on his website:

If you're confused about where to begin when it comes to a holistic health approach, this episode is for you. On this episode learn how to incorporate a holistic health approach to your lifestyle with tips and tricks you can include in your life. Along with this, learn how to create space in your life both physically and emotionally. Today’s guest is Saarah Wassel expands on these ideas.

On today's episode: 

• Create healthy patterns for the year to come
• Purging what does not and who doesn’t serve you anymore
• Simplify your lifestyle
• Get over your fears of lifestyle purging
• Create healthy boundaries to have the space to show up for yourself
• Redefining your perspective on space
• Be present and understanding
• How to tune into our body, mind, spirit connection
• The power of forgiveness to heal
• Tips to tap into ways to incorporate a holistic health mindset into your lifestyle
• The healing power of showing gratitude
• How to show yourself true love

Coach Keren Elded immigrated to America to live the American dream. After finishing graduate school, she got married and ended up on a prestigious career path, until it all came tumbling down. In her mid-30 she faced hardships  including a divorce, losing her job and losing what belongings she had left in a horrific fire. With no safety net to help her get back on her feet, she quickly knew that there was no one coming to save her. From this point, she set out to discover a different path, which was entrepreneurship, with a business in personal and professional coaching. Fast forward to today, Coach Keren works to help people become an entrepreneur and scale their business to 7 and 8 figures and beyond. That is her definition of the new American Dream.

On today's episode:

• Maximize your own potential and find inner strength
• Develop an “I can” mindset
• Learn how to choose yourself and invest in yourself
• Break through self sabotaging thoughts and beliefs
• Make friends with our fear-based thoughts and ask them important  questions
• Discern between your garbage thoughts and true thoughts
• Learn how to take downtime when you need it
• Summon your inner strength to climb out of a rut
• Gain courage to follow your dreams and stop thinking small
• Find your high vibe tribe - communities that elevate you and push you forward

Coach Keren's personal recommended reading list | Check them out here in my Amazon store.

For the longest time, I thought being bullied was considered normal and that it had no real effect on who I am today. In all actuality, bullying can have a huge impact on who you are.

Being bullied can lead you to stifle yourself or take on unrealistic beliefs about who you are. So much so that you may loose sight of your gifts and talents. You may suppress your ideas and opinions in fear of what others might think, or worse, what they might say. You may create a negative outlook on who your are and dismiss your value.

It's important to become aware of these negative thought patterns and ask yourself if they truly belong to you, or if they may have been learned from experiencing being bullied, put down or made fun of.

The Elevated You podcast is for anyone who's experienced long term affects of being bullied and who wants to break free from fear-based thinking and self doubt and rediscover their true purpose. This podcast is going to be a healing journey for my listeners as well as myself.

Each episode shares the stories of people who've transformed their life to live in alignment with their true purpose. These stories are raw, real and remind you that you, too, can stop living for what everyone else thinks, and start living the life you were meant to live.

• Powerful tools to help shift your mindset
• Mindfulness in action techniques
• Self assurance and confidence
• Self acceptance, compassion and love
• The power of empathy
• Mental fitness
• Inspiration to move forward
• Resources including access to coaches and other professionals
• Tools to elevate your life and wellbeing
• An all-around good time!

When it comes to defining who we are, our true purpose, and what we love, sometimes it can be challenging, especially how days when there are a million things we look at for inspiration. My next guest shares his personal journey of self discovery within his life, career and personal style.

In his episode we chat about how you can overcome your fears to move forward and make your goals a reality. we also chat about how to embrace putting your own unique flair in all aspects of life. Get unstuck and start celebrating your most authentic you.

Key Takeaways:

• Place your fears aside and move past them
• Let go of your anxieties around personal style
• Tackle your imposter syndrome
• Get unstuck from going for your goals for real
• Turn your fear of failure into opportunity
• Discover how to curate your life in a new way

About our guest:

Trever Hill, husband, interior designer and storefront owner has been the owner of Trever Hill Designin Fargo, ND since 2009. Trever pursuit of exemplary design, becoming well-known as a frequent guest on the North Dakota Today Show and popular magazine contributor for Design & Living, Fargo Monthly, and Midwest Nest. Throughout an ever-evolving journey, Trever had won several design challenges and amassed over nine years of People’s Choice, Fargo Forum, and Locals Love Us design awards, consistently recognized as the F-M’s Best Decorator/Designer.

Hey friends, it's me, Kay. Today's episode shares some of my favorite moments and insights I've had on the past season. I'm so excited to be celebrating 99 episodes of the Fit Fabulous Life Podcast. Through countless conversations with incredible guests, I've learned and grown through this experience. Today i'm sharing some of the most pivotal moments I've had on the show to date.

Key Takeaways:

• Have the courage yes to opportunities that come your way
• Pull yourself out of a negative mindset
• How to get out of our own way from achieving greatness
• Turn disadvantages into advantages
• Pause and reflect when you need to make a life change
• Understand why some things don't go our way
• Learn how to tap into what your body tells you and how to remedy stress

Hear from guests from these episodes:

Ladies, do you ever struggle with mood swings, food cravings and feelings of exhaustion? Do you often wonder why one week you can be on top of the world and the next you feel like you're falling flat?

Key Takeaways:

• Discover hormone-supporting and delicious foods that you will love
• Learn natural methods to tap into the inner workings of your hormones
• Learn about the 4 phases of your cycle and how they work
• Discover how to eat for optimal hormone health
• Learn how you can use mindfulness to tune into what your body is telling you

My guest today is Talida Voinea and she is a 35 year old mom from Australia who is a certified fertility awareness educator with a post grad in biomedical science focusing on nutrition science and reproductive endocrinology. Talida runs a plant based food and women's health blog and Instagram page and recently launched her book, Eating for Hormone Balance, a plant based guide. This book shares about the science going on in our biology and helps us tap into the power of our own bodies as well as over 60 delicious recipes to help support healthy hormone function.

Talida's inspiration came from personal battles she faced in her health and hormone function. Her story is so inspiring and can resonate with many of us and the battles we face when it comes to hormone health.

Is your inner dialogue and self talk out of control? Are you paralyzed with thoughts of not feeling good enough that are stopping you from success? If you're ready to discover the secrets to self confidence and radical self acceptance, love and body positivity stay tuned for a conversation with my next guest, Hannah Stelter.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to tune up your inner dialogue
• Tap into your creative passions
• Break through the "should" and "shouldn't" thoughts in your head
• stop living for what other people think of you
• Celebrate you for your whole self
• Tap into a body positive mindset

Hannah an artist located in Fargo, ND. She would say she's most known for my "Perfectly Imperfect" drawing tutorials on TikTok (@hannahstelter2) and my scribble lady paintings and illustrations. Her artwork is a representation of true beauty in this life. Absolutely nothing is perfect in this world, and that is okay because your imperfections are what make you who you are. They make you unique. Not only can this philosophy be used in how we view ourselves, but it can be used in how we create art as well.

She creates all her pieces with a glass dip pen in her signature scribble style. She has also named her signature drawings of women "Scribble Ladies" and has unofficially coined herself The Scribble Lady.

More often we hear of food allergies and sensitivities, and many of us are trying to navigate them ourselves. An even bigger challenge is navigating them with our kids. On this episode, hear from mom and founder, Becky Binstock. Beck and her husband, Mark, founded Simple Sugar, an all natural cotton candy company that is free for any added dyes or synthetic ingredients. Their all-natural approach to this nostalgic treat was inspired when they found out their daughter suffered from food allergies keeping her from enjoying treats. 

Are you ready to jump start your creativity? Do you crave to explore who you are and how it aligns with your career? Are you ready to embrace the truest version of yourself? This episode is all about mindset and discovering how you can find success in each and every one of these.

Join me in my conversation with dear friend and creative, a photographer who makes every photoshoot a fun experience, Morgan Allora. Her studio, M. Schleif Photography is infused with creativity, and garnished with fun! And this is totally true! Every shoot I've been a part of has been fun and jump starts my creativity and makes me feel like I can conquer anything that life throws at me, especially a creative road block!

With over 8 years of capturing clients, she is all about connection and collaboration to create something uniquely yours.

Beyond Photography, Morgan has been my friend and someone who is one of my go-to people who is there for me whenever I need a creative boost. Every conversation we have leaves me feeling inspired and with a fresh new mindset. I'm happy to share this inspiring conversation with you.

Key Takeaways: 

• Discover what creativity looks like for you (it looks different for everyone)
• Learn how to embrace this thought: "What is the best for me right now?"
• Turn inward to focus on \ moments of strength to get through not-so-fun moments.
• Know who your lock box people are in your life.
• Find your safe and encouraging space on days you're facing hard things
• Celebrate niching down, and know you don't have to do it all to have success.
• Remember the mantra: shift, change, grow
• Discover your core values and how to use them in every decision you make
• how to find consistency and flow within your work
• build a personal brand that resonates with you

Do you feel like you are on a hamster wheel called your life? Do you struggle making decisions and focusing? Are you overwhelmed and overrun by an endless to-do list? This episode is for you. Welcome to part 2 of my series with Mark J. Lindquist. On this episode tap into the power of your own mind to improve thought process to get out of your own way and excel at life. 

For the first 8 months of life, Mark J. Lindquist was in an orphanage in South Korea before being adopted by the Lindquist family in Minnesota. He believes that he has been given the gift of a beautiful life and serves to inspire us all that we can as well. In his young adult life, Mark served in AmeriCorps and the United States Air Force.

Fast forward to today, Mark is now an Entertainer, performer, professional motivational speaker and humanitarian who has been on a humanitarian mission in Ukraine joining the fight for freedom for the citizens of earth since March 31st, 2022. After 6 months on his mission in Ukraine he is now back on American soil touring nation wide with his lecture series to to share the stories of what's going on in Ukraine.

Before leaving, Mark and I sat down to record this podcast. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Understand Emotional Intelligence and how to use it as a tool
• Learn how improved thought processes can help you break through barriers
• Understand how meditation really works
• Discover the power of yoga to help you you gain focus
• Explore how simplifying and decluttering your mind can be beneficial 

This episode is geared to help you tap into communication sills and using them to their fullest potential to help make the world a better place. Learn to find motivation after going through hard times.

For the first 8 months of life, Mark J. Lindquist was in an orphanage in South Korea before being adopted by the Lindquist family in Minnesota. He believes that he has been given the gift of a beautiful life and serves to inspire us all that we can as well. In his young adult life, Mark served in AmeriCorps and the United States Air Force.

Fast forward to today, Mark is now an Entertainer, performer, professional motivational speaker and humanitarian who has been on a humanitarian mission in Ukraine joining the fight for freedom for the citizens of earth since March 31st, 2022.

After 6 months on his mission in Ukraine he is now back on American soil touring nation wide with his lecture series to to share the stories of what's going on in Ukraine.

Mark is one of the most inspirational and influential people I've had the honor to connect with. Before his mission to Ukraine, Mark and I sat down to record a podcast, which I've turned into a 2 part series. 

Key Takeaways:

• Learn about different types of communication, verbal and non-verbal
• Learn how isolation impacts how we communicate
• Discover how to effectively communicate in a virtual world
• Understand non-verbal cues to improve communication skills
• Learn how to use communication as a tool for good
• Learn the impacts social media on how we communicate
• Understand the importance of friendship, community and togetherness on our mental health
• Learn the benefits of human to human communication one to another

Are you feeling stuck in life? Do you crave momentum and motivation to turn your passions into reality? Are you confused with what you truly want in life? These are all questions many of us struggle with, and on this episode we discuss how to ignite your curiosity and tap into your inner life-long learner. 

Key takeaways on this episode:

• Be curious and open your mind to new ideas and possibilities
• Learn how to ask questions to discover new persectives
• How to have fun in all you do
• Invite more play into your life
• Find motivation to take on a new life path
• Explore new traits, abilities and interests 

Annie Wood is a TEDx Speaker, a lifelong learner who embraces her inner weirdo. she's a dear friend of mine (and trusted pal who's always willing to tear it up on the dance floor!) She was one of the first people to welcome me with open arms when I moved to Fargo community.

She believes following curiosity and exploring interests allows you to draw connections and create unique experiences.

Do you struggle with fear and anxiety holding you back from living a full life? Do you desire to find relief and live a life you love? This episode shares the  potential of CBD for relief of everything from mild anxiety to PTSD and fear holding you back from success. 

Key Takeaways:

• Tap into the potential of natural methods for stress and anxiety relief
• Break the stigma of what CBD is
• Understand the different types of CBD
• Learn the importance of sourcing high quality CBD
• Discover how CBD can help you recallibrate, find calm and destress
• Explore how CBD can help promote a healthy lifestyle

About my guest:

WeiWei Felman was raised in China, and immigrated to The USA after meeting her now husband who is from Fargo, ND. Being from China, WeiWei is familiar with the benefits of plant-based medicine found in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of illnesses and improvements in overall wellness. Weiwei suffered from personal trauma, anxiety and PTSD and after tireless searching for relief, she finally found hope with CBD. She was amazed at how much it helped improve her mental and physical health.This finding inspired her to leave her corporate job and start Kota Botancis a retail store selling premium CBD products.

Within a year, Kota became the largest premium CBD wellness retailer in the state of North Dakota. After months and months of extensive searching, She was able to start her own premium CBD brand which she launched in late 2020, Kota Botanics is a premium artisanal hemp CBD wellness brand sold all around the country.

Special offers:

Listeners of this episode can receive 15% off all Kota Botanics branded products with code fargofitfriend15 to use at checkout!

What is wealth? Wealth is being present and content with wherever you are with whoever is in front of you, not your net worth. My aim is for every person to be happy with money. - Tom Stadum

Tom is a father, husband and co-founder of Fjell Capital and host of the Happy with Money Podcast. Like any of our life pillars, there are huge benefits to financial wellness. Yet sometimes we just don't know where to start. Tom and his team at Fjell are helping people discover how to tap into confidence in their abilities to have a healthy financial wellbeing. 

Recently after connecting with Tom, we felt it would be awesome to put together a double feature for twice the fun! Both conversations are open-minded and enlightening, especially when it comes to the one things everyone thinks about, but nobody likes to talk about, you guessed it, Money.

Key Takeaways: 

• Learn how to have a Healthy mindset with Money
• Understand what money shame and how to overcome feelings of it
• Learn how to work with your finances in creative ways to make them work for you
• Find a community of people who want to see you succeed in your financial wellbeing

Do you struggle with self doubt and knowing your purpose? This episode helps you find security in knowing you have a unique life mission. 

BeWill Smith's passion is Spreading God’s love through music, and reminding people that we all have a purpose in life and Sharing the power of hope.

BeWill is a worship leader at at a local family Church here in Fargo, and is Co-founder of his record label Organized Soundz.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of knowing God has a plan for you
• Build confidence and celebrate your unique gifts and abilities
• Discover the power of God through music
• Be encouraged to tap into creative abilities 

Today we hear from Bob Thornburg, founder of Food First. When working in ethanol production, Bob discovered a highly nutritious gut supporting bi-product that remained, Probiotein. Bob shares the evolution of his company and how pivoting allowed him to create a product that is delicious and highly beneficial our health.

Probiotein exists as prebiotic fiber food which supports your good gut bacteria and may even help support a robust immune system. This product helps you have a gut microbiome and may help support a robust immune system.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand what prebiotics are and how they work in your body
• What food sources contain prebiotics
• The potential prebiotics has on your health and immune system
• Natural ways to get more prebiotics into your diet

Do you want access to farm-to-table food with the convenience of shopping online? Do you want to meet local producers in your community who can provide you with food that is delicious, nutritious and sustainably sourced? Bjorn Solberg shares how we can have access to locally grown healthy food. His passion for increasing access to local healthy food led him in helping to establish Red River Harvest Cooperative, a collective of local food producers working together to establish a more resilient local food system.

Key Takeaways: 

• Issues with larger food supply chain
• Benefits of buying local produce on both your physical and financial health
• How to get to know local producers in your area
• Where to find farm-to-table food with the convenience of shopping online

On my last episode I shared a conversation with Lauren Roxburgh who shared the benefits of tuning into our bodies and understanding how they work to help rid toxins, pain and dis-ease and to invite more flow and feeling good. Today I do a deep dive on how we can create healthy habits that support our mind, body and spirt. Learn how the fascia connective tissue is considered our sixth sense, or proprioception, where we are in space relationship to the earth, around people and with gravity.

Stress is part of life and when necessary, can be a GOOD thing, because it taps in our body's natural responses of avoiding danger and things that can harm us. Yet, today more than ever we are overstimulated and our stress levels are out of control. The key is tapping into our abilities to respond to stress rather than react to it. When we respond, we maintain control - and when practiced we can access a cognitive state and choose how we respond to what's going on around us.Also give yourself grace, this is a practice.

Ways we can tap into my mind body connection and have a healthier relationship with stress:

Do you struggle with chronic pain, inflammation or an overall feeling of being unwell? Are you living a life where you feel rushed, anxious and stressed? Do you seek answers and are met with the same disheartening results? Let me tell you, this episode is going to change your world! It's going to help uncover what's really going on in your body and tap into the incredible potential of your natural ability to heal.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how we can heal through our fascia tissue
• Understand how emotional trauma affects can affect our physical health
• Learn about stress and the affects it has on your body
• Discover how to respond to stress in a healthy way to help you start your healing journey
• Learn how to stop self-judgement surrounding health and wellness
• Release the restrictive mindset of counting calories and overtraining
• Tap into how you can live in alignment with who you truly are

Lauren Roxburgh has been dubbed the body whisperer and has been a life-long learner of health and wellness for over 25 years. She has degrees in Nutrition and Physiology, Certification in Structural lIntegration, Classical Pilates and is a Certified Personal Trainer, 

Lauren's Platform, The Aligned Life aims to help you remove the layers of stress, tension, neglect and feelings of unworthiness and let go of judgement to uncover your strength, physique and illuminated energy within.

She's an author and wellness educator with an expertise in many healing modalities. Today she featured in Vogue, Goop, Wall street journal and GMA news and has been a regular contributor to Goop, women's health mag and has been featured on top global podcasts.

Are you facing something that challenges you every day? This episode shares the story of how guest, Michael Sullivan overcomes the challenges of a life-long disorder and how he's turned it into his super power. 

Michael Sullivan is an author and software engineer living in Fargo, ND. He has a wide variety of passions spanning music, nutrition, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, chess, weight lifting, traveling, reading, and writing. He is a deep believer in diversity of experiences and life-long learning.

On this episode get inspired to tap into your own unique gifts and talents and discover what you truly love. Hear from experts, ReNee Greenberg and Kari Dunn and what they have to say about tuning inward to align your body and mind and set your day up for success. 

Key Takeaways 

Did you know that up to 85 percent of women are struggling with imbalance their hormones? Everything from menstrual irregularities, PMS, cravings, unwanted weight gain or loss, infertility issues and menopausal symptom. Women's hormone health affects every aspect of your life - from your relationships to your mood, your energy levels, and even your work life.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn the importance of hormones and your health
• Discover methods to find balance in hormones
• Learn how hormones affect women

This episode shares how to stop normalizing hormone imbalances and get to the root of what's causing them and find customized solutions that work for you.

Learn how two cousins, Kari Dunn and ReNee Greenberg, have partnered to create a space for women to create the life they want and step away from anything that no longer serves them and build harmony in their hormones.

Stay tuned to learn about the Rise and Shine Retreat and how it an be an opportunity to press pause on the daily grind and give yourself a complete reset so you can feel revived with a personalized roadmap to truly live your best life.

Prepare to be inspired and ready to take the next step to reset your body and start your journey in finding harmony in your hormone heath.

Did you know that spending time in community with others helps with decreasing feelings of loneliness while increasing your quality of life.

Having friendship and social connections provide intellectual stimulation and emotional support.

If you are curious on how you can learn about the benefits of and social interactions to help you increase your wellbeing, this episode is for you! Jenny Sheets, Entrepreneurial Programs Manager at Emerging Prairie.

Jenny grew up in Fargo but spent the last 15 years in Bozeman, Montana playing in the mountains. She has a masters in public administration, a masters in creative writing, and her passion is writing, language, and storytelling and helping other people tell their story.

Jenny has a one year old son named Henry Danger and she currently works at Emerging Prairie, helping make Fargo the #1 startup city in the nation.

Key takeaways on this episode:

• The benefits of community and how to find one you love
• Where and how to get involved in community
• Work-life balance
• How integrating social time and time to connect is crucial to wellbeing

Shownotes:

Have you ever found yourself at a pivotal point in life? Maybe it's one where you don't know where to go next? My next guest reminds us how to re-discover your skills and talents in a whole new way.

Key Takeaways

• Learn how to reinvent yourself to serve in a new way
• Become an inspiration and teacher to those around you
• Tap into a new skill or trade
• Pivot in your career to use your skills in a new way
• Discover how to connect and grow your audience
  

After years as a yoga teacher and graphic designer, Ashley Hagen wanted something more. And when life threw her a couple of curve balls, she got back to her roots and transformed her skills into a business training new yoga teachers how to launch their own online businesses so they can make an impact and create a thriving business.

"I believe that it's important to remind people that every one of us has what it takes to make a positive difference where we are at right now."

This quote by former Miss North Dakota, Reyna Bergstrom speaks to my heart. And if this resonates with you, then you're in for a great and inspiring episode!

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to turn trials and tribulations into fuel
• Gain new perspectives to broaden your horizons
• Discover how to tap into the power of persistency
• Learn to not take no for an answer
• Discover a guide to your genuine self
  

In June 2021, after competing in multiple pageants, and dealing with the 2020 pageant being postponed due, Reyna's perseverance served her well, and she was crowned Miss North Dakota. 

On this episode, hear her story and l as well as how she kept her confidence even in times of uncertainty.

Have you ever ran into a roadblock in life? Do you want to learn how to see past any roadblock and persevere to the other side? Join in my conversation with Luxury Handbag Designer, Andy Sourdif of Studio Drew and Branding Expert, Cait Day as they share the story how the collection came to be, as well as how they've had to navigate road bumps along the way and how to find your groove to push through setbacks and find success. 

Key Takeaways

• Learn how perseverance is key to navigating life's road blocks
• Hear how mind over matter can help you achieve your goals
• Learn how to push through to make your goals a reality
• Discover your passion and drive

Shownotes & Mentions

Did you know we spend an average of 26 years of our life sleeping? My jaw hit the floor when I read that number! Sleep is crucial to our wellbeing, yet 1 in 3 Americans in the US report getting less than optimal amounts of good sleep each night, which means less than 7 hours. Tossing, turning and being disrupted during the hours we are sleeping also disrupt our natural sleep cycle.

You may be wondering what sleep have to do with living a fit, fabulous life? I'm here to share that it has everything to do with it! All of our day to day activities are affected by our sleep. In other words in order to feel our best, we need proper rest.

Feeling rested and full of energy helps combat things like anxiety, depression and brain fog. It can help us with decision making, sustaining healthy relationships and being more productive in our day to day. I have to admit, when I'm feeling rested and energized, everything seems to go better, even taking on challenges in my day.

Today I'm excited to have Mattress specialist, business owner and sleep expert, Derrick Fechtner on the show. Derrick is the owner of Fargo Mattress which he opened 3 years ago. He has been specializing in mattresses and how people sleep for over 15 years.

On this episode Derrick and I chat about what it means to get good sleep, and share tips and tricks on how to make your own sleep schedule better. If you are someone who is interested in learning how to get better sleep, we've got something in store for you!

If you're in the Fargo area, we invite you to join us at the Get Your Best Beauty Rest event happening at Fargo Mattress on June 2nd from 7-9pm where we dive deeper into the topic of sleep. Join us to hear from a panel of local experts in ways to set up yourself for a great nights rest and wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on your day.