Your Daily Chocolate

Today Patty welcomes Sean BW Parker, a British writer, artist and lecturer in art, cultural theory and justice reform. Sean also happens to stutter, or stammer as it is referred to in Britain. He and Patty discuss the relationship between genetic disposition and environmental factors in the development of stuttering and what situations may exacerbate it. Sean explains that society places importance on speaking and that stuttering can be seen as embarrassing and a hindrance to success for some. Sean also describes some of the tougher times in school with bullying and pressure to read in front of class.

Sean also is a singer as you will hear, and he and Patty discuss the brain processing that makes stuttering often disappear when a person sings. They also touch on some of the new technological advancements to help stuttering and some of Sean’s great accomplishments from writing eight books, to giving TED Talks, and awards he has received along the way.

Sean Bw Parker (MA) is a British writer, artist and lecturer in art, cultural theory and justice reform. He lived in Istanbul for ten years until 2014 where he lectured at Istanbul University, and gave a TED talk 'Stammering and Creativity'. He has published or contributed to a number of books, won six Koestler Arts awards (including a platinum for his play The Wolfstadt-Wire) and a Perrie Lectures essay award in 2019. Parker is Editor of False Allegations Watch for the Empower the Innocent organization (University of Bristol Innocence Project affiliated).

You may remember one of Patty’s very early guests, the crime and mystery novelist Joe LeValley. His story is extraordinary, having taken 33 years to finish his first book and 33 days to finish his second, and doing it all at what many people consider retirement age. Well Joe has returned to the show with book number five just being released this year, and it’s already receiving awards.

Today Patty and Joe discuss the new novel The Sophocles Rule. Take a little deeper look at how he develops his characters, the meaning behind the title, developing new characters and creating more complex stories with stories that keep readers turning the pages. Joe also shares a few sneak peeks at books six and seven and some inspirational words about what still gives him a thrill when creating, and the reward it continues to give him and his fans.

The world and our everyday lives are a mix of beauty, love, tragedy, trials, hope, and uncertainty. Patty’s guests today tap into this in their stunning music. The October Project is a New York based award-winning, genre defying band. Marina Belica, Julie Flanders, and Emil Adler have been making music since 1991 and talk to Patty about how they began, their inspirations and philosophy of creating songs. Above all it’s about appreciating the beauty and healing in a world that can often seem cruel and uncaring. Check out the links below to find out more and to listen to the gorgeous music that The October Project delivers.

Composer Emil Adler, writer Julie Flanders and vocalist Marina Belica of October Project are award-winning, genre-defying recording artists and producers who collaborate in the creation of musical recordings and events in the spirit of bringing harmony, joy and peace to listeners.
Powered by Flanders’ words, Adler’s music, and the group’s trademark harmonies, their earlier work with SONY/Epic and subsequent recordings have been enjoyed by millions. Bridging the worlds of pop, classical, a cappella and choral, they continue to
innovate the landscape of Independent Music.

The band’s new full-length album, The Ghost of Childhood, will be released throughout 2023.

Today’s guest comes to the show fresh off of a feature in People Magazine. Owen O'Neill is here and he runs a non-profit called Clinics Can Help, which really doesn't tell you much about what he does but Owen is a registered nurse for more than 30 years, and along the way he saw an opportunity, and at the same time, he saw a need. He saw individuals who maybe no longer were using their wheelchairs or their medical equipment,

and at the same time, he's working in clinics and seeing people who can't afford that very same equipment. This is where Clinics Can Help was born, and now many years later, he and his team of employees and volunteers have impacted tens of thousands of lives.

Patty and Owen discuss how the organization works, the extraordinary amount of people they help, some of the challenges they face, and how they even provide other life-saving items apart from traditional medical equipment.

Find out more about Owen and Clinics Can Help below:

Most of know about some rare diseases that effect a fairly small number of the population. ALS for example effects around 18,000 people in the United States. Today's guest Geri Landman, is a Pediatrician and mother of three. She discovered that her third child suffers from a genetic disorder called PGAP3. She is one of only 50 known cases in the world.

Today Geri brings her inspiring story of the lead up to the diagnosis and then all of the time, energy, effort, and emotion since. She and her husband are now the Founders and Directors of Moonshots For Unicorns which funds research and find cures for PGAP3 and other ultra-rare disorders. Geri also discusses some of the mind-blowing genetic advancements that are happening right now in the fight to find cures.

This is a beautiful and motivating episode. Look below to see how you can find out more and get involved.

Are you ready to laugh? Patty welcomes the hilarious Kerri Pomarolli to today's show. She is a national headlining standup comedian who's worked with everyone from Jay Leno to Jim Carey, to Carol Channing and Jerry Lewis.

She's been on The Tonight Show 29 times, as well as Comedy Central, ABC and many more. She's been an actress on the Young and the Restless General Hospital and many family shows on ABC Family. She's a screenwriter who sold her second film script to the Hallmark Channel and also a correspondent for CNN's Show Biz tonight. Laugh along with Patty and Kerri in this fun and insightful episode.

Kerri Pomarolli is a national headlining stand up comedian who has worked with everyone from Jay Leno, Jim Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Carol Channing and Jerry Lewis. She's been featured on The Tonight Show 29 times, Comedy Central, ABC and many more. She hosted her own show on MOMTV and is a popular host on red carpets including back stage at the Emmy® Awards and many Hollywood premieres . She was featured on the Nick at Nite show Mom's Night Out and as an actor has appeared in many films and TV including General Hospital, Young and the Restless, Lifetime, ABC Family, CBS and many more. She is a screenwriter who sold her second film script to the Hallmark Channel. Kerri has been a correspondent for CNN’s Showbiz Tonight. She has been featured on Netflix Amazon Roku Channel and voted Comedian of The Year by the Hollywood Faith and Film awards 2022. She was voted one of LA's most inspiring people by Voyage Magazine.

Kerri’s latest two books Confessions of a Proverbs 32 Woman and She Rises Late and Her Kids Make Her Breakfast: hit the bestsellers list on Amazon. She hosted part of the Dove awards at the Grand Ole Opry and currently hosts a podcast with her daughter "The Drive to School Podcast" available on all

You listen to the show each week for positive, uplifting, and inspiring stories. Today's guest exemplifies this in every way. Dr. Christopher Smith is the author of the recently released book called Homeless to Hopkins, and it is a true story of his life. He journeyed from a broken, homeless teenager sleeping in the car to eventually being a medical doctor at world renowned Johns Hopkins. But most importantly, along the way, he actually found joy and he found himself.

Dr. Smith recalls his upbringing in an unhealthy and unstable home, moving from place to place multiple times a year until finally he found himself with no home at all. He talks about his "safe place" at school and inspiration he found from teachers along the way, how he was transported to new worlds and inspired by the stories of great people through his love of reading, and how determination, resilience, and personal accountability are the foundation of growth.

Patty has invited a fascinating guest on today’s episode. Kimberly Evering. She's also

known as Gal on the Go, and she is the host of a biweekly award-winning podcast

series that features raw interviews with women from all walks of life and sharing their inspiring and empowering experiences. In addition to that, she's an extreme cyclist and has served as an ambassador to the Olympics twice. She shares her experience working with the Paralympics Alpine Skiing teams and how it was a life-changing experience. She also discusses the trifecta of living a happy life and tells about how she’s helping others in podcasting through her service, Podtopia.

Today's episode starts with a poem that was written by today's guest, Riya Sokol. The poem about the Coronavirus went absolutely viral almost three years ago at the start of Covid. It was a poem that comforted and provoked as we all were adjusting to a changing world. It shows that even as we acknowledge the horrible parts of the last few years, we can find goodness, grace, and silver linings. We can learn more about ourselves and others, know what we can and shouldn't even try to control, and appreciate our lives in the moment more deeply.

Riya is an internationally acclaimed artist, speaker, and content creator. Since the age of six, she's been on stage as a singer. She's now an accomplished public speaker. With her unique approach to human existence, she is revolutionizing communities and making an impact on the world. Find out more about Riya below:

David CM Carter joins Patty from across the pond in England. David is a serial entrepreneur, and the world's leading CEO mentor. They get into how he got that title and his forty years of experience and track record of creating innovative businesses and mentoring leaders and influencers around the world. Now he's got his legacy project, the Entelechy Academy, where he's bringing together brilliant minds in education, coaching, and professional organizations to make it the ability to become the best version of the themselves accessible to everyone. David's engrossing stories, charm, humor are just a bonus to this intriguing and thoughtful episode. Enjoy!

Today's guest, Judd Efinger, describes himself as a storyteller, adventurer, learner and leader and has spent decades helping others reach their full potential. Judd has paired a thirty-year career in sales management with running an outdoor leadership and corporate team-building company in Park City, Utah. As founder of Park City Teamworks, Judd has designed business adventures for more than 500 companies and 14,000 business leaders.
The outdoor adventures have proven to be the perfect setting to see how business teams play under stress and reveal their true nature. Back at Base Camp, debriefings help team members apply the lessons learned in their outdoor adventure to become a high-performing, winning team when they return to the office.

Today's guest, John Hurd, is a runner and competes in sprinting competitions around the country. He has won 168 gold medals including 9 national championship golds in his lifetime. What makes that an even more impressive number is that John is 91 years old and started running at the age of 61. Born at the height of the Great Depression and too small to participate in sports as a school kid, he learned at age 60 about the national senior games, and began to train himself as a sprinter. Prepare to be inspired by John's drive, passion, persistence and humble spirit. And maybe you'll think about dusting off your running shoes. 

Your Daily Chocolate is in the top 25% of most shared, and most followed podcasts worldwide, so let's boost it up even higher. Take 10 seconds today and share the show with some friends that you know will love it, and make 2023 an even brighter year for those you care about.

The Oscars are coming up on March 12th, and who else but Patty has an inside look at the awards from a best-selling author, playwright, screenplay producer, and film producer? David-Matthew Barnes joins the show to talk about the history of the awards, how it has changed over the last decade and who he predicts will win. See if your choices match up and enjoy the show!

David-Matthew is the bestselling author of fifteen novels, three collections of poetry, seven short stories, and more than seventy stage plays that have been performed in three languages in twelve countries. Five of his stage plays have received off-off Broadway productions. As a film producer, he has helped bring sixteen films to the screen. To date, he has written seven produced screenplays.

Sometimes it feels like the most successful people in the business world can see into the future. Well, today's guest does seem to have this gift. Donna Loughlin is the Founder of LMGPR and known for her work with futurists and innovators.  She has launched more than 500 companies, taking them from stealth to market leaders since forming her agency in 2002. She is also the host of BeforeItHappened, a leading narrative podcast featuring visionaries and the moments, events, and realizations that inspired them to change our lives for the better.

Today Patty talks with Donna about Identifying a visionary early on, the product vs. the person, some of the products that surprised and impressed her the most, the role of social media on a products success, and a little information on her upcoming book and her incredible podcast.

Donaa also shares her six steps of telling an influential story, why failure is never the end and often the beginning of something better, and the reason she “hires and fires herself every day.”

Find out more about Donna Loughlin below:

****************************** If you'd like to get a $300 dollar package from today's guest for FREE, make sure to listen! **********************************

It’s not every day that Patty has a rock star on her show, but today is that day. Michele Blood was a popular Australian rock singer for years doing long, sold out tours for the fans of her band. But while riding on the tour bus she got into a terrible accident and was hospitalized for months. During this time she discovered the power of listening to positive affirmations and how it effected our mind, and the outcome of our lives.

Because she was a musician, she created musical positive affirmations that prove to be more effective. It worked for her as she underwent a “miraculous” recovery and healing in the hospital. Now she has had millions of people around the world hear her songs and the glowing reviews affirm the effectiveness of her message. She even has worked with and has the support of Bob Proctor, multiple NY Times Best Selling author and contributor to The Secret, Speaker and Author Brian Tracy, and Jack Canfield co-author of Chicken Soup For The Soul.

Hear how you can change the direction of your personal and professional life with something as simple as listening to positive affirmations.

Riches are not about the ‘what,’ but the ‘who.’ That is the philosophy of today's guest Angela Marshall, a motivational speaker, professional writer, columnist, bestselling author, creative consultant, ex-NFL wife and business owner. Angela defines true riches are things that you cannot replace. Family, close friends, and mentors that get you to the best places in your life.

As an ex-NFL wife, she took lessons from what she saw in the sports world. Respecting yourself, self-discipline, cooperation, teamwork. She knows that to love and support those around you, you need to have love and respect for yourself. Her acronym for this is SELF - Shine, Evolve, Love, and Fulfill.

Angela discusses the different stages of her life that brought her to where she is today, and how her perspective on what is important changed over time. As she is now inspiring others, she reflects on those that inspired her and how having trusted mentors in her life make such a difference. But the simple everyday situations we encounter often provide the biggest lessons toward positive growth.

Angela knows that life is hard for everyone no matter who they are or what they do. Her advice is to be a positive energy out there, to listen, understand, and inspire in any way that we can, and to not let ourselves or those around us get stuck in negativity.

Also, listen to Angela’s advice on dating after she realized almost everything she was told before was wrong.

Find out more and connect with Angela using the links below:

IG: @inotherwordsbystone

Twitter: @wordsbystone

Today's guest is giving the best gift that anyone can give, the gift of health and balance. Patty welcomes Beth Shaw, Founder and CEO of YogaFit Training Systems. Beth shares the message of health and wellness, so people can make more informed choices on nutrition, sleep, and how to take care of the their mental, physical, and emotional health. She brings YogaFit to a wide spectrum of clients, from nursing homes to Fortune 500 companies.

Beth reminds us that we only have one body in this life, so beginning to change the way we move, eat, sleep, and hydrate will help us to live the best quality of life possible as we grow older. She brings this message with her radio and podcast show - Make America Healthy. 

She also discusses how YogaFit gives back with millions of hours of community service work teaching, assisting veterans and others with PTSD, and supporting animal rescue. 

We all know we need something to help us with our physical, nutritional, and mental health. Get inspired with this episode, and share it with a couple friends that you know will benefit from it. 

Find out more about Beth and YogaFit with the links below:

Today's episode is important for anyone that wants to hear about living your life with more purpose, happiness, gratitude, understanding, and want your life to be in a place where -it's just good. Patty has invited a guest that spreads this wisdom across the podcast platform. Lauren Abrams is the founding member and managing partner of Employee Rights Law and creator and host of the podcast 52 Weeks of Hope. 

At the start Lauren states that she's dropping the lawyer hat for the day and is here to give amazing insight, advice, and inspiration. She begins with a building block oh happiness - As humans we are meant gather together, work together, and create together. This is a key element of people that are happy and fulfilled. 

Lauren also shares some of the best episodes from her 52 weeks of Hope … Podcast, talks about ways to make friendships and stay connected as an adult, reminds us to ‘stay in the day,’ and not to ‘compare and despair,’ how helping someone else can be a quick way to boost your overall well-being, and reveals an activity to shift your mindset if you’re feeling overwhelmed or having issues with another person.

Find out SO much more about Lauren from the links below:

We all face challenges growing up. Some people let it define them, keeping them stuck, others use the experiences to make them stronger. Today’s guest falls in the latter group.

Kevin Cassidy joins Patty today for an inspiring episode. Born with a facial birth defect, he battled a speech impediment and bullying throughout his youth. Throughout that time neither he nor his parents allowed him to be viewed as a victim. Later in life he became a college and pro athlete, a schoolteacher, and highly successful Hollywood stuntman (Yes, you’ve undoubtedly seen him on the big screen.)

Kevin and Patty discuss how he got his start, and how character and persistence play a huge role in being successful in every walk of life. They talk about his book, ‘Falling Down To Find Myself,’ and its main message of how hard work, honesty, and staying true to your values will allow you to be ready for all the different changes that come throughout our lives.

Kevin is now a business owner, author, speaker, father, and husband helping others to live their most fulfilling and happy lives.

It’s a new year and so many people take that opportunity to start fresh. What is better than a fresh, clean, organized home? It’s not easy sometimes, but today’s guest is a professional at doing just that. Julie Coraccio is an award-winning professional organizer, author, speaker, and certified life coach.

The clutter that surrounds us each day may not be as haphazard as you might think. Decluttering is part physical and part psychological. Julie talks about practical, bite-sized strategies to get your surroundings in order no matter what state they are in. She talks about how emotion and sentimental feelings can cause people to hold onto things and in turn remain stuck in their lives, and the importance of knowing what your clutter kryptonite is.

Clutter isn’t just in your home or car or office. It’s also within us. In our brains. Julie talks about looking inward and to become aware of the emotional triggers in our lives and not go through each day on auto-pilot.

So if you have the goal, and want some guidance, practical tips, and common sense advice that isn’t overwhelming, you’ll want to listen to the end.

Julie Coraccio is an award-winning professional declutter’er, life & end of life organizer, author and certified life coach. She's passionate about supporting people in clearing clutter in all areas of their lives; preparing for death to live life more fully; getting organized and becoming more mindful and aware. Happily married to Tony, she's the mom to 3 rescued black cats, and enjoys a nightly soak in her bathtub.

Links: 

So many of us think that we are being kind, good people by helping others with whatever needs they might have. But when does it cross the line of being detrimental to our own wellbeing? Today’s guest, Janice Burt, aka Spanish Janice, is a Spanish interpreter, voiceover artist, yoga instructor, author and inspirational speaker, and is here to give you the knowledge and insight of how to recognize the issue of people-pleasing, and more importantly, how to break away from it, to become the person you are meant to be without blaming others or yourself. Janice also talks about how to break the people-pleasing cycle with our children, and the answer may surprise you.

Patty and Janice talk about the variety of accomplishments that Janice has taken on to push herself out of her comfort zone. From stand up comedy to, marathon running, to a bodybuilding competition, she describes how stretching these boundaries allowed her to overcome her fears, find her true value, experience inner strength and meaning of herself, which then allowed her to free herself from the expectations of others.

This episode is about becoming free by truly caring about yourself, healing, learning to forgive, cultivating personal growth, and showing up for ourselves in the ways that better our own lives. This is an incredibly deep and poignant episode to start off the new year and to help you to make it the best, most transformative year yet.

Find out more about Janice below:

Welcome to Season 02!!!  Thank you for making the show such a success. Today we are kicking off the new year and new season with a guest that is making the rounds on national tv because of the impact that he's making in people's lives. Today Patty welcomes Yuri Williams, Founder of A Future Superhero and Friends. 

After losing his mother and suffering years of depression, he created A Future Superhero and Friends, a non-profit organization helping to lift up underserved and under protected individuals and communities. He then took on a 50-state tour and the power and purpose of this endeavor helped to lift him out of the darkness he had felt for so long. The organization is mostly self-funded, but recently Yuri has rightly gained the attention of The Today Show, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Lester Holt, and Morning Joe. Listen to the uplifting stories of helping the houseless, veterans, elderly, disabled, children and many more through this wonderful non-profit.

Find out more here!

Today Patty is doing a special solo episode to close out a successful 2022. She shares some of her best holiday memories, from her dad's unique gift giving, being a pen pal with an elf, the best gift she ever received, and an almost unbelievable story of the most disastrous holiday vacation you may ever hear. 

Thank you so much to all the listeners who have made the show such a success. Let's keep the momentum going into 2023 and give the gift of good news by sharing this podcast with family and friends. 

You know from listening to the show that Patty has lots of connections and brings extraordinary guests each week, but she has outdone herself this time. She has scored an exclusive interview with Santa Claus, yes, ol' St. Nick himself. No spoilers here, but listen to find out how Santa began his life of gift giving, how he delivers all those gifts in one night, just how old Santa is, and a behind the scenes look at the work the elves do, the reindeer, and some of the most heartwarming requests from kids that Santa has received. Most importantly, for every listen of today's show, Patty is going to donate one dollar to the Make a Wish Foundation. So in this season of giving, make sure to share this show with everyone you know, and let's make some children's lives a little bit brighter this Christmas and throughout the coming year. 

Your Daily Chocolate is in the top 25% of most shared, and most followed podcasts worldwide, so let's boost it up even higher. Take 10 seconds today and share the show with some friends that you know will love it, and make 2023 an even brighter year for those you care about.

While Patty takes a brief break in December, she is bringing you some fun-size episodes leading up to the launch of season 2. Listen to a heartwarming story, think about friends you want to reconnect with, get a little silly, and listen to a holiday song brought to you by Patty herself!

Your Daily Chocolate is in the top 25% of most shared podcasts worldwide, so let's boost it up even higher. Take 10 seconds today and share the show with some friends that you know will love it, and make 2023 an even brighter year for those you care about. 

Today's guest started a highly successful organization with hard work, agility, and prioritizing the things that matter most.  Leah talks about the long hours she would put in to build her profitable business, but saw the time with her husband and family crumble. She knew that she had to make a change, but she didn’t want to make it a choice between a “happy marriage OR a profitable business.” She wanted both. She learned to schedule the most important things in her life first. She arranged her true priorities at the top, but still left room for spontaneity.

Her success didn’t start easily. She was diagnosed with both dyslexia and ADHD. Leah knew that she learned differently. She turned these disadvantages on their head and used them to push herself to both learn and execute in new and unique ways. Fortunately, those skills are exactly what entrepreneurship and running your own business requires.

Leah also explains the importance of time-blocking and scheduling in order to give yourself chunks of time back to your life which is the difference between feeling frazzled and feeling fulfilled. She also discusses the important life lessons she learned while taking a year to travel with her family.

Find out more about Leah below

No matter who you are, there is probably some area of your life where you feel you could use a boost of confidence. Today Patty welcomes an extraordinary guest, Tamara Pflug, a fun and confidence coach! She didn’t start with the confidence she has today. She was caught up in people-pleasing and caring too much about what other people would think of her. One of the most important parts of her style is that fun is in the forefront. She reminds us that life is too short not to be more relaxed and light-hearted. Having fun and being more relaxed sounds easy, but there is hard work to do when you are trying to change patterns and your mindset that you’ve held for such a long time.

She gives a glimpse of the 8 thoughts she teaches her clients to integrate into their thinking. Thoughts create feelings, and in turn, actions. Patty discusses the trick of using the strengths you have in one area of your life and adopting those into areas you feel you are not doing as well. They also ask the question, are we raising our kids with false confidence? And Patty and Tamara hatch a questionable plan to get paid to travel and study chocolate.

Find out more about Tamara:

After years of marriage or being committed to a partner, there can be times when we feel some drifting apart, and not feeling as connected. The usual remedy is better communication and opening up about the changes in our lives - but it can be difficult to initiate. Today's guest Diana Indries, Creator and CEO of Better Topics, has spent years perfecting a fun and effective game to kickstart this process, and achieve real, meaningful results. 

Diana began her career as a manager in the one of the UK’s largest hospital trusts. It was… a job. But she was inspired by her husband’s energy and love for his work, and decided to do something different. This is when the Better Topics Card Game for Couples was born. She admits that relationships were something she felt she wasn’t always good at, so she dove into research and learning on what creates strong bonds with couples. She knew what worked for her and her husband, and she saw other “couples games” that were far too simplistic or kind of silly. She discusses the unique aspects of the game, and how it can reignite the spark that was there in the early stages when people were first getting to know each other. It also has a variety of questions to keep it light and fun along with deeper, more insightful questions.

Diana also announces their newest game, Better Topics, The Dating Game. It helps people who are in the dating phase to discover themselves and what they really want from a potential partner. The traits that you can appreciate and grow with, and red flags that might give you some pause. Diana says that it could help to bypass years of bad dating.

She recounts some of the feedback from all over the world of how it has helped people to connect and grow the bond with their partners, and how it gives her the inspiration to keep going and helping others.

Diana has helped thousands of couples in over 170 different countries improve their relationship and communicate more effectively whilst still having fun by playing the Better Topics Game for Couples. A game that encourages couples to have those much-needed deep conversations, but with the fun and light-heartedness of a game. The best part is that Better Topics is a repeatable game, so couples can play this over and over again.

Many of us have had struggles, and followed a much more winding path than we first imagined, and that is true of today’s guest Kimberly Spencer, best-selling author, podcaster, and high performance coach. Her winding path came from her ability to follow her intuition. She credits her parents being entrepreneurs as helping her to have a “go for it” attitude, to go with her gut, and be open to taking risks. She started out wanting to pursue acting and the arts, and instead of going the college route, she jumped into more hands-on acting programs. Through networking and hard work, she even got the chance to write her own feature film which is now on Netflix.

In order to break out on her own, she started teaching Pilates, and her attitude, optimism, and grit led her to become a top instructor.  During this time, she was able to gain new perspectives and ways of thinking which she took to heart and began to change the direction of her own life through mindset and values and deeper understanding of herself.

After a short stint in e-commerce, she decided to put all her strengths to use and began her own high performance coaching company - Crown Yourself. She shares the many lessons that she learned along the way and is gracious enough to share some free tips to grow both personally and professionally by creating a winning success strategy, and the number one thing that is the foundation of all success. You don’t want to miss it!!

Today’s guest Terry Tucker has played many roles in his life, marketing executive, police officer, SWAT Team negotiator, and basketball coach to name a few. But he never expected to have the role of cancer patient. Terry talks about all rollercoaster of emotions that occurred after his diagnosis, and then finally choosing to come to terms with it and fight for his life, and then work to inspire others.

Terry is the author of 'Sustainable Excellence: The Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life.' Terry is kind enough to talk about a few of those principles and how it can change your outlook, put the gifts you have to the best use, and make your life and those around you better. He also explains the 40% rule and his 4 truths, which could give you a whole new perspective on how much farther you can push yourself when times get tough. He continues this daily with his blog called Motivational Check. This merely scratches the surface of the wisdom and advice that Terry brings, along with great stories like playing against Michael Jordan.

Patty continues to bring impressive, high-profile guests on the show. Today she welcomes, author Joe LeValley to the show to discuss his amazing journey of becoming a successful crime fiction author late in life. He began as a daily newspaper reporter, covering lots of crime cases including murders, which planted seeds in his mind about trying to write a crime novel. He then switched to working in communications in healthcare, but still writing in his free time, he decided to take a crack at that novel. Then children and job promotions came along, leaving the half-written novel collecting dust. But an idea for an amazing twist ending, and a snarky comment by a co-worker, spurred him on to finish it. The rest is history.

It took Joe 33 years to finish his first book, and just 33 days to write the next one. Both won awards and received glowing reviews, and his humble approach and advice to young authors is down to earth and simple – there is no one way to do it. He describes the origins of the main character of his stories, his night on stage with The Who, his advice on how to get yourself out of a slump, how to approach writing a book, and the night he made Bill Murray laugh.

You may think you had some hard times growing up. You may think you just don’t have enough time during the day to get it all done. Today’s guest will help to bring all those things into perspective. Patty welcomes Dr. Katrina Nguyen to the show to share her incredible story.

As a toddler and the youngest child of eight, Katrina came with her family to America from Vietnam on her father’s fishing boat, coming close to death a couple times along the way. Her parents had little to no formal learning and encouraged her to pursue education in the U.S., and she did just that. Her interest in science bloomed in middle school, culminating in college where she began to study medicine, before becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist.

She is not only a doctor, but has started a nonprofit to help tackle the childhood obesity issue. She helps community organizations to bring nutritional education and experiences to families and encourage healthy lifestyle changes. She’s written one book and is about to publish another on coping with loss and grief, and she is a speaker as well. So you may say she has her plate full.

You will be uplifted and inspired by Katrina’s commitment, compassion, and drive. Enjoy!

Find out more about Dr. Katrina Nguyen below

Remember the days of your youth, when everything was new, exciting, and bright? What if you could recapture even a part of that again in your life now? Patty brings you a duo today that may just make it possible. Thomas and Landa Penisten, creators of the hit book, A Time For Colors: A Book About Joy, join the show.

The beauty of this book is that it crosses all generations. Children, adult parents, and the elderly. Everyone finds something true, real and meaningful from it.

Thomas talks about how as we grow older we build up all these negative emotions that dim the colors in our life. It’s about pushing away sadness, anxiety, and fear and taking a chance on letting it go and embracing happiness.

The message is recapturing the joy and discovery of being a child, where everything is new and there is nothing but living in the moment. They discuss their outreach work, and what projects are coming next. Don’t miss this heartwarming, joyful and inspirational episode.

Husband and wife Author Team, Thomas and Landa Penisten have written a beautifully illustrated and stirring story that reminds us to never lose wonder
and gratitude for the simple joys in life called A Time For Color, A Book About Joy.  Thomas and Landa believe a good story is one that sends a positive message and evokes emotion and reflection. They hope readers will relate to the story and recognize the importance of feeling gratitude, joy, and living in the present, and have their own feelings validated. Thomas tries to capture emotion when illustrating by drawing on the outlooks as he remembers as a child and also the challenges and losses everyone faces throughout their lives.

When treating veterans with PTSD, your first thought is probably not farms or cows. But today’s guest is changing lives using just those things. Patty welcomes Marvin Frink, wounded veteran and owner/operator of Briarwood Cattle Farm in North Carolina. Marvin begins the episode by explaining the physical setup of the farm that is uniquely designed to be comfortable for veterans with PTSD. He then explains how it isn’t just working with the animals, but talking with them, leading them, and allowing people to open up in a trusted environment. He strives to be an example to veterans that may be hesitant or too proud for help, to be the one that says its ok to be vulnerable, because it will lead to a more peaceful life.

He talks about how his wife and children are really the heartbeat of the farm and is so grateful and thankful to have them by his side. He gives great insight on the program Wounded Warriors Talk, and how it has helped him tremendously to feel accepted and understood. Because October is Suicide Prevention Month, Marvin has some heartfelt words to those that are struggling, and some advice on how to set boundaries to avoid putting undo stress on yourself and preventing feelings of failure or rejection.

Check out the links below for more information and how to connect with Marvin Frink

Get ready to have some fun today with today’s guest. Comedian, author, and motivational speaker Marklyn Johnson joins the show. This high energy episode will keep you thinking and laughing the whole way through.

Marklyn begins by talking about his childhood upbringing and the role of his no-nonsense father that helped him to grow and learn through a bit of tough love and building resilience. He gets into his issues with authority, not fitting in to the corporate mold, and not liking being told what to do. He explains his start in stand up and podcasting after realizing the lack of talent on the radio.

The conversation turns to his work with motivating kids, and the issues that technology, coupled with unengaged parents can bring. He talks about the approach that many parents use now to motivate, prepare, and strengthen our children for the future. While some of it is positive, a lot of it is failing them.

They discuss the overwhelming tendency for each generation to continue with the actions and aspirations of the family and surroundings they grew up in, and how wealth usually begets wealth and poor begets poor. This type of generational cycle is also very dependent on race. Marklyn reiterates the importance of teaching our kids personal accountability, financial awareness, and pushing them to aspire to greater things.

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So many times in life we can get in a rut, get down, feel angry or upset about our situation. The fact is that everyone feels this way from time to time, but what if there was a way to set your life on a new path simply through gratitude. It's a bit more complex than that, so Patty has brought on a wonderful guest to really dive into the subject and how you can benefit from it. 

Deborah Hawkins, author, blogger, and coach isn't your run-of-the-mill, over-the-top, rah rah!!!! type coach. She grew up with trauma, had difficulty in relationships and careers. During one particular low point, she decided to start writing things down that she was grateful for. With that, her outlook lifted and, as a writer, it gave her reason to write again. 

Deborah explains the distinction between a listed journal of things you’re grateful for and intentional gratitude journaling. One of those truly lets us discover more of who we are and our view of the world. She talks about some of the main themes that came out over her years of journaling that expose the things that are most important in her life, like belonging, adventure and forgiveness. 

Deborah also expresses how she doesn’t use gratitude to cover up or push away bad feelings or grieving. She reminds us that in every low time, it’s ok to both feel those feelings and appreciate something in our life that is good. She also gives some concrete tips of how to start down the road of gratitude, how to be in the moment by boiling down the essence of what you value. The journey can take time but is life changing; it allows you to carry on more confidently and love yourself more fully.

Check out more about today's guest!

What better way to start the week than with a story of a strong determined woman that helped her husband save tens of millions of lives? Patty delivers with her amazing guest Bee Bloeser. Bee is a speaker and the author of the incredible book, ‘VACCINES & BAYONETS: Fighting Smallpox in Africa amid Tribalism, Terror and the Cold War'.

She recounts her memories and experiences of her family, including her two children, during their time in Western Africa helping to eradicate smallpox. She talks about the desperation, death and disfigurement that the disease brings. But also the absolutely incredible work that her husband did to save so many lives. On one particular day, their organization administered 750,000 vaccines!! Yes you read that right. Before their mission was completed they reached one hundred million doses in just three and a half years! During this time Bee and her family experienced tremendous hardship in an area that was ruled by a brutal authoritarian government. There were many dangers all around them, and they had to do and discuss things that made their kids grow up faster than they would have liked. Through it all, she helped to change the destiny of a continent. Amazingly after all these years, Bee is working to go back to Africa to volunteer and help people again. If you’re feeling down and defeated right now, this story will inoculate you of that, and energize you to keep on fighting!

Our electronic devices help us in many ways every day. They also distract and consume too much of our time many days. When it comes to kids and devices, it’s a much more difficult circumstance. Kids with appropriately set guidelines and rules can go about their day productively, but some children find themselves easily sucked into a device addiction which can wreak havoc on their sleep, diet, behavior, and social growth. Fortunately, Patty knows someone who can help. She welcomes Mike Jacobus, a career Camp Director and youth-development specialist, internationally recognized author, child-development professional, and outdoor education guru. Mike created the Reset Summer Camp, the first of its kind anywhere. It’s a 4-week digital detox program, helping kids and families to break away from the grip of devices and gaming in particular. At the end of camp, it even includes both individual and family therapy to ensure the lessons they have learned continue after going home.

He talks about the feelings the kids have coming into the camp, the change he sees over the four weeks, the process of being accepted into the program, the dynamics with the parents of campers, some of the difficulties and some of the great success stories of kids that are more balanced, happy and successful.

Mike has been spotlighted on both the Today Show and Bloomberg, and is currently planning on expansion of this amazing program.

Find out more:

You've come to listen for good news and inspiring stories. Well today, Patty's guest has both of those in spades. Andrew Malcolm is an author, father, and veteran foreign and national correspondent with long experience at the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and currently writing a weekly national politics column at RedState.com among other topics. 

Today Andrew utilizes his exemplary story telling and gives us a glimpse into some of his most memorable assignments, relationships and connections he's made along the way. From leading the caravan for the Olympic torch, or the day in the life of a Holiday Inn, an odd encounter with a dairy farmer at the site of the Battle of Waterloo, a cowboy riding from Mexico to Canada, an expatriate running a floating grocery store in Borneo, to interviewing a naked Mohammed Ali!! The list goes on and on. It’s a pleasure to hear Andrew relate these stories in a way where you feel like you are almost there. He recounts other lessons learned along the way during his career, and shares the experience that taught him to never leave anything unsaid.

Please be sure to share this with others, rate and review! It's a simple thing that keeps the show growing! 

Find out and connect with Andrew:

RedState National Politics Columnist

There is one universal truth we all can agree on. We all grow older. Today Patty welcomes author, humorist, and memoirist, Ruth Yunker to talk about living vivaciously no matter your age. Ruth discusses the importance of staying curious and trying new things. She is taking on new sports and even going back to sports she did as a kid, while also trying her hand at modeling, She continues explaining the benefits of exercise both physically and mentally, and how therapy can keep you in a place of beneficial personal discovery. She also talks about how many people who are getting older can easily take on the role of victim, but it’s up to you to control that self-perception and your mindset towards that, and you're the only one that can make that change.

There are so many more good stories and lessons that she shares that will leave you feeling ready to shake off bad feelings and to get up and begin to change your life, enjoying it to the fullest at any age.

Ruth has published three books. Two are about her long term stays in Paris, traveling solo. "Me, Myself and Paris", and "Paris, I've Grown Accustomed to Your Ways".

Her latest is "Baby, I'm the Boss of Me, My Journey to Ageless". Ruth Yunker has found a way to tackle aging, using humor, personal power, and keeping curiosity alive.

She lives in Los Angeles, CA, and is the mother of two grown children whom she adores.

Find out more about Ruth!

Patty continues to bring A-list guests to the podcast. Today, senior advisor and a Chief of Staff in the Reagan administration, James Rosebush joins the show. He had unprecedented access to all of the behind the scenes, inner workings of the White House at the time.

James and Patty discuss how Reagan changed the way that the president was viewed because of his communication and leadership. Reagan had a powerful way of lifting people up and making them feel better about themselves and the country even in difficult times. His faith, his lack of ego, the way he spoke to inspire people to do good things, his use of humor, and the repetition he used when talking about his core beliefs.

James then explains how he started writing and became a speaking and communication coach to executives, coaches, teachers, politicians and more. This episode if filled with fascinating stories, personal moments with the president, uplifting lessons, and inspiration for how we can be better by examining examples from our past.

PLUS - Listen and find out how you can win a signed copy of True Reagan by James Rosebush!

New parents know that those first couple of months are full of sleepless nights, getting up and down with feeding and changing. But after six months, getting up every hour, today's guest knew she needed something to help her baby sleep through the night. Not finding anything that worked, she created her own solution - a weighted sleep sack. Like a miniature, wearable version of a weighted blanket for adults, she thought it might just work. And work it did. Listen to the incredible difference it made in her baby's sleep, the story of her bringing her idea to market, and how she ended up on Shark Tank and catapulting her success. 

It wasn't all easy though. Tara, her husband and children had just moved into a new house, then both lost their jobs, creating mountains of stress and financial unease, all while trying to start a business on her own. It is truly an unbelievably inspiring success story, and one that has helped new parents around the world get some much needed rest. 

Patty has brought you a lot of amazing guests over the last year, and today is no different. Legendary drummer Harold Jones joins the show to talk about his life, the beginning of his career, the current state of music and big band, and playing with some of the greatest music stars of all time, like Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, Bing Cosby, Ella Fitzgerald... the list goes on. He also recounts his time on the road, even meeting Presidents and royalty along the way. This is a great listen. Harold's upbeat and easygoing manner will charm you. 

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler" - Henry David Thoreau  

This is where the origins of National Simplicity Day came from. And what better time to listen to this important advice. During COVID these last few years, homes have gotten more cluttered, our schedules have become more complicated, and our reliance on our devices has grown greater. Today Patty reminds us how vital it is to sometimes slow down and simplify our lives. If even for a week or day throughout the month. She gives advice on some of the best ways to do this, and shares an amazing letter from the late, great Paul Harvey on the hope that our kids and grandkids can still enjoy some of the pleasures of growing up in a simpler time. 

You will LOVE today's guest. Featured in People Magazine, and CBS with Leslie Stahl, Laurie Zaleski joins the show. Leslie founded The Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary, and is the best-selling author and 5 star-reviewed 'Funny Farm, My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals.' 

She brings her infectious energy and charm to the show and will inspire and amaze you with her incredible story. She tells about her upbringing and how she made it through some extraordinarily difficult times to become a pilot, business owner, and inspiration to so many around the world. Rescuing and caring for over 600 animals at any one time brings its challenges, sacrifices, and heartwarming experiences. Laurie tells about some rather unexpected animal friendships, and how she uses those to teach people how to be kinder and more accepting. 

She also reveals her inspirations and special bonds she shares with some of the most vulnerable animals in her care. This is an episode not be missed. 

It's the Fourth of July and as we celebrate our country's freedom, we also think of the many men and women who have fought to protect it. Large numbers of those return from duty severely injured and sadly many of them don't get the help they need to get back to civilian life and thrive. Patty's guest today is Mike Conklin, and his mission is to change that. He is Chairman and CEO of Sentinels of Freedom, a non-profit helping wounded veterans complete their education and transition into successful post-military careers.

Mike talks about how this all started and where the organization is today. Hear his incredible story of the first Sentinel in the program, some of his most memorable individuals that he's worked with, and why this work is so vital. This episode will fill you with pride, make your heart feel good, and may also make you shed a tear. Happy Fourth to everyone!

Do you often get stuck inside all day? Work, cleaning, helping with the kids homework, the list goes on. Patty's guest today knows that taking even a short time outside every day, has huge benefits. Amy Bushatz believed this so much that she and her family moved to Alaska, sight-unseen to give them a chance to connect with the outdoors like they never had before. First - NO you do NOT need to move to Alaska or even out of the city. Amy makes it simple. Her motto is 'nature is wherever you are.' Whether its in the city or in a subdivision or out in the forest. She encourages everyone to take advantage of this nearby nature, in whatever form that might be for you.

Daily outside time is like beginning any other activity, so schedule it, make it work for your daily life. It can be as little as 15 to 20 minutes a day. Creating this new habit could be the healthiest thing you ever do for your body and mind. Amy gives tips on how to keep it up, and more importantly how this habit has made such a huge improvement in her, and her family’s well-being.

Patty welcomes a very special guest to the show. Dan Ashley is a journalist who has been an on-camera anchor and investigative reporter for ABC 7 News San Francisco, and is also an accomplished singer/songwriter. On this episode he talks about his background, why good news is so important in people's lives, some his most difficult, memorable, and favorite interviews, why journalism is so vital, and how to be a wise consumer of the news you watch and listen to. It's a show full of amazing stories, and elevating conversation that you won't want to miss. 

Father's Day is coming up quickly, and Patty is here with special solo episode to show appreciation for dads everywhere. And also some funny stories and jokes. Patty shares some fun memories of her dad, one of which includes a pajamas and a shotgun! Then Patty tells some classic eye-rolling dad jokes to brighten your day. 

Homophobia. Sexism. Racism. These are subjects that we hear a lot about in society, politics, schools, and the workplace. But how often do we hear about ageism? Today Patty welcomes another Patti to the show. Patti Temple Rocks, author and speaker, is here to talk about the subject… that no one talks about. Age has always been a bit taboo in most cultures. When it is spoken about, it’s often to make fun of or belittle those who are “over the hill.” But in companies across the globe, those same people are some of the most highly skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced employees that a company could ever hope to have.

Patty and Patti have a conversation about how ageism effects men and women differently, how companies are actually losing money by not catering to older, more experienced employees, and how honesty in the interview process pays off.

Today Patty welcomes Helen Ryan, author, entrepreneur, and podcaster to the show. Helen had a very difficult and traumatic childhood. But you would never know it today. Through the volatile upbringing and personal and professional struggles in adulthood, she weathered the storms and walked out the other side, stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Helen attributes this to her stubbornness and her genes. Her grandparents lived in German occupied Norway and later came to the US and started a business and flourished. This ingrained toughness got her through unsuccessful business ventures, divorce and out the other side to where she is helping others in physical and mental health, nutrition, and motivation. Helen shares amazing and inspiring stories of her life and health transformation.

For those of you that enjoy wine, and have even delved into the wine world, you're familiar with the verbose snobbery that often comes along with it. What if there was a wine expert that kept it real? Wouldn't that be refreshing? Well Patty has a friend who does just that. Mark Phillips, TV show host, author, and former head of the Wine Tasting Association. He brings a relaxed, fun and, open attitude towards wine that you can imagine is frowned upon by the traditional "wine snobs" but is applauded by the millions of regular wine drinkers that just appreciate some common sense insight. 

Patty and Mark talk about how butter can save a bad wine choice, why to avoid the expensive bottles, understanding wine terms, why to ignore the wine critics, how he started his progressive approach to wine which led to his own show on PBS, and his love of pickleball. Sit back, grab a glass of whatever you enjoy, and listen to this amazing episode. 

You know those days, where you get some food, settle in on the couch and then see the tv remote on the side table fifteen feet away. You groan and think you don't even want to get up and get it? Well, when you hear from Patty's guest, Bob Coomber, it will change that type of attitude and give you a jolt of energy. Bob knew Patty when she was back in the third grade, and now Patty knows him as the world's most prolific wheelchair hiker in the world. He has summitted countless peaks setting records along the way, including reaching the top of the 14,246-foot White Mountain, California’s third-highest peak.

Listen as he tells about first hikes, where he'd like to go next and just how he's able to do what he does. Bob is the model of motivation and inspiration. His story may help you take a different approach when you face your next tough obstacle.

It's always amazing to start your week off with some inspiration. Patty brings it on today's episode with her friend Elaine Taylor, founder of the Taylor Family Foundation. It started through a passionate heart, and wanting to rock babies with AIDS in the 1980's. Her passion, drive and commitment grew into opening a camp for children with the same disease. As AIDS began coming under control, the camp broadened their vision to include children with all different types of challenges. They now have 31 different programs serving over 3000 kids. This episode will do your heart good. 

Mother's Day is fast approaching and Patty is here to sing the praises of mothers everywhere. She talks about what makes moms so great, shares some wonderful stories about her mom, and also gives some funny quotes that pretty much every mother, everywhere has said at one time or another. Laugh along with this heartwarming episode and share it with a sibling or parent during this Mother's Day time. 

What better guest have on Your Daily Chocolate than a cookie baker. And not just any cookie baker, but Eleni Gianopulos, CEO and Baker-in-Chief at Eleni's New York. Patty welcomes Eleni to talk about how she got into the cookie business, and began selling at the Chelsea Market in New York. She shares what it took to go from that small market to now producing over 20 million cookies a year, and gives advice if you are thinking of starting your own business. She also dishes on her secret recipes, and their amazing and imaginative cookie collection's. Make sure to listen for your chance to win some Eleni's cookies of your own for Mother's Day!!

Singing, writing, photography, acting, composing, today's guest does it all, and she's here on the show today! Clare Harper has known Patty for a long time, and the two have reconnected to share stories from her start as a child in school plays, to her varied and successful career on stage, screen, radio, and corporate spokesperson. You will delight in Clare's energy and passion for creating, along with some fun anecdotes, silly accents, and future goals. Happy Monday!!

Today's episode is here and it's just to make you laugh. Nothing more. Kinda nice right? Patty welcomes her daughter to the show, and the two go back and forth trying to one up each other with Easter jokes. Listen and find out how you can get your own list of Easter jokes to use if you'll be gathering with friends and family. Hoppy Easter!!

As many listeners know, Patty is an avid golfer. Today she welcomes Tom Rezendes, the PGA Pro golf instructor that helped Patty sharpen her game. And while this episode is about golf and looking forward to The Master's tournament, it's also about more than that. It's about pivoting throughout your life and career, while still following your passion. It's about the importance of turning to coaches or mentors when you really want to commit to becoming better. And if you're a golfer, you may also pick up some useful tips from Tom during the show. 

Just a few days until April Fool's Day! Patty is making this one very special. She has invited her mom onto the show to talk about pranks that were pulled on her by Patty's father. Patty then tells an April Fool's story of her own where her dad got a little payback. Don't miss this funny and sweet episode that will brighten your Monday. 

Today Patty welcomes her friend Cayle Alldredge, Health and Wellness Coach and host of the Healthier Habits For Busy Families podcast. Cayle ran a successful massage therapy business, but when Covid hit, it also hit the business. It made her rethink things and make some very big changes. Not only did she make a complete change professionally, but she overhauled the way her family approached eating, exercise and taking care of themselves. This turned into a thriving venture of its own, where Cayle teaches others how to do the same, and transform their lives for the better. 

Today's episode is deep, funny and touching. Patty welcomes her friend Sandy Sheesley to the show, and by the end, you will wish she was your friend too. Sandy talks about her beginnings in law enforcement, and her time working in jails and interacting with inmates. She approached her very difficult job differently than many others working at the jail. She led with kindness and understanding, which many of the inmates probably rarely received in their lives. She was fortunate enough to see the outcome of that compassion years later. 

Patty's rapid fire questions are excellent and there's an hilarious bonus story near the end of the show where Sandy recalls saving some very cute little lives. 

Start your day today with a funny, and odd story from Patty and her trip to a dentist that was... let's just say, a little different. Enjoy!

Patty and her special guest Georgiana (Georgie) Alexander are here to deliver an inspiring and uplifting episode. Georgie is CEO and Founder of Chaos & Calm, a global wellness community & lifestyle brand. She is a Wellness, Business, and Transformation Expert, whose unique perspective & coaching style combines leadership strategy, science, and spirituality to help you learn how to access, define, and reach every single goal and desire that you have (known and unknown) for your business, finances, relationships, and health.

She talks about how she got her start in understanding business and strategy from a young age, her first business ventures partnering with her family, and then breaking out on her own. The overarching theme of her story always returns to lifting up others. It's about community, balance, leading with heart, sharing our gifts, and propelling people to their fullest potential. 

Today Patty is joined by her friend Tanya ter Keurs with an incredible, almost unbelievable story. It begins with a simple trip to a job fair and turns into a magnificent adventure that comes full circle. It is both fateful and heartwarming. It's a tale so good that you might even want to claim it as your own and tell your friends it happened to you. 

As Valentine's Day approaches, two things usually come to mind - love and chocolate! And today's show is about the love of chocolate. Patty's guest is founder and master chocolatier of Hofssi Chocolates, Linda Hofmeister. Linda and Patty talk about how she changed her life and career and started being a chocolatier, how Patty found her amazing products, tips on picking the right candies, and a bittersweet story of Linda's first valentine. 

PLUS! Listen for details at the end of the show for a chance to a win a box of Hofssi Chocolates

Today’s serving of Your Daily Chocolate features an anecdote that could give you a new perspective on email forwards.

Your Daily Chocolate is joined today by Asa Mathat, a photographer of over 30 years, whose work features a wide range of leaders across business, society, politics, and more. Asa is also one of the most giving souls you could ever hope to meet, and is the founder of the ASA Foundation, a non-profit that brings “awareness and empowerment to the unseen, the underrepresented, and especially low-income young people, to succeed in a world driven by technology.” In this episode, Asa shares with us why he’s grateful every day, who inspires him, and how his creativity and photography brought him out of a tough upbringing.

If you need a laugh today, Patty is here with a funny, heartwarming and a slightly awkward story about an experience in Naples Italy. Let’s just say she found herself in the middle of something she didn’t expect. Enjoy!

Welcome to Your Daily Chocolate. As we reflect on the holiday season, spreading joy and thoughtful gifts, what more special gift can there be than making a wish come true for a child that has been dealt some difficult challenges in their young lives? No one knows this better than today's guest. Patty welcomes Betsy Biern, CEO of Make a Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation.

Betsy shares how inspiration from her father led her to the non-profit path, and how her mission is not just limited to Make a Wish, but also helping other non-profits focus their vision and achieve their goals as well. Betsy discusses some heartwarming success stories, some misconceptions about who her organization serves, and some of the best ways that community leaders, businesses, and people just like you can help make a difference in children's lives.