Conversations on the Rocks

This week, we’re knocking the dust off this show with the help of Suzanne Vaughan! In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of Suzanne Vaughan, a visionary who had the foresight to see the COVID-19 pandemic coming due to an unusual spike in demand for protective supplies at her workplace back in early 2020. Fast forward to today, Suzanne has hung up her work boots and is fully indulging in the freedom of retirement. This new chapter in her life is filled with her passions - from the dramatic allure of theater and the magic of lighting design to the meaningful pursuit of advocacy work. Suzanne gives us a sneak peek into the exciting theater projects she's currently steering in the Winston-Salem area, painting a vivid picture of her creative endeavors. But it's not all curtains and spotlights; she shares the poignant challenges of caring for her mother during her final years and navigating the complex maze of grief after her passing. These experiences have shaped her, giving depth to her story. Retirement for Suzanne isn't about slowing down; it's about chasing the next adventure, from exploring Pittsburgh to marveling at Niagara Falls, and tracing the scenic East Coast. Even as she juggles various projects, Suzanne dreams of future travels, awaiting the right moment when she's ready to leap into the next big adventure post a significant period of personal loss. This episode isn't just Suzanne's story—it's a testimony to resilience, passion, and the art of moving forward. About Suzanne: ​​A native North Carolinian, Suzanne Vaughan has called Winston-Salem home for about twenty-five years. She spent most of her career working for consumable supply distributors, utilizing her customer service, sales, and marketing skills. Now untethered, she is pursuing her passions, which include writing, theatrical lighting and set design, and performing. She also advocates for marginalized communities, animals, and climate change and tries to use her platform to inspire others to break free from the status quo. Connect with Suzanne: Instagram: suzvaughan12 TikTok: suzvaughan11 Support the Show.

While Gen Z may be wizards at technology, teachers and professors admit that the one thing they're lacking is an aptitude at soft skills - things such as face to face interaction and communication, critical thinking, conflict resolution, etc. In this episode, I'm joined by Glynis Bell who has been teaching college students these skills for the past few years. Some of the points we cover are: Also mentioned in the show is Glynis' book, Fierce and Fabulous: A Young Lady's Guide to Inspiration and Positive Self-Image, which you can purchase by clicking the link! Support the Show.

Have you ever wanted to flex your creative muscles and start something new but weren't sure how to start? This week, I'm chatting with Paul Gosselin and we discuss how to get started on whatever your creative dream may be. Paul and I met years ago on Twitter because we both loved the longest-running soap opera, Guiding Light. When the show was canceled, Paul decided that this was the chance for him to live his dream AND keep the light burning and he launched his own version of the soap called Misguided. Following high school, Paul moved to New York City and attended the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. He continued to study with actress, Maggie Reed, following his graduation from the two-year program. Paul also was selected as an apprentice at the Barrow Group Theater and studied under Lee Brock and Seth Barrish. The first television audition Paul had in New York City was for One Life to Live, and he booked the role, fulfilling a lifelong dream to appear on a soap opera. The day his episode aired, Paul was immediately invited back for another episode. Before leaving for Los Angeles in 2011, Paul appeared on several TV shows including Damages, The Good Wife and Saturday Night Live, to name a few. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles and becoming involved in the theater community, Paul took up storytelling, with the live stage show of Mortified. With Mortified, Paul has traveled the country appearing in several of the chapters, sharing the shame and entertaining audiences. Currently, in Los Angeles, Paul is hard at work developing his own production company, Cosmopaulitan Entertainment, which launched its first mini-series, MISGUIDED, in 2015. You can follow Paul and the show, Misguided at the links below! https://www.paulgosselin.net/ https://www.youtube.com/user/cosmopaulitan/featured http://www.twitter.com/cosmopaulitan http://www.facebook.com/Mr.PaulGosselin http://www.instagram.com/cosmopaulitan https://www.instagram.com/misguidedseries/ Support the Show.

This week I'm joined by Connie Chesner who is the Performance Enhancement Specialist of Armored Team Building and discussion revolves around how to spot a fake and an expert. During troubling times or when little is known about a topic, it seems like "experts" come out of the blue to offer their wisdom and solutions. But how do you know if they’re really an expert on a topic or if you’re falling for fool’s gold? Our discussion deals with an aspect of one of the five themes in our groundbreaking research report that looks at how markets motivation is shifting due to the pandemic. We know that the need for expert and credible sources will rise, so how do you spot an expert? 3 Tips: 1. ”Beware of Fools Gold”: Look for credibility markers 2. The “I heard it from a friend who” effect: discern short-cuts, assumptions, headline scanning 3. “Mandala Effect”: memories are malleable and fallible The report mentioned in the episode is available for free through their website: https://www.armoredteambuilding.com/americaonpause2020 All requests are answered personally, so please be patient as they will send your copy upon request. Their LinkedIn connections (Connie welcomes personal connection requests if they include a note with why someone wants to connect): Connie Chesner https://www.linkedin.com/in/conniechesner/ Armored Team Building: https://www.linkedin.com/company/armored-team-building/?viewAsMember=true Armored Research: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/armored-research/?viewAsMember=true Email and phone: info@armoredteambuilding.com 336-749-7556 Support the Show.

This week, Kari O'Driscoll joins me and we discuss how parents and educators can help teens better deal with traumatic events such as COVID19. Kari addresses important things that parents need to keep in mind such as: Tune in to hear all of these points and more and be sure to check out Kari's books and follow her on social media with the links below! Truth Has a Different ShapeOne Teenager at a Time: Developing Self-Awareness and Critical Thinking in AdolescenceThe SELF Project for Parents Support the Show.

There has been a big rush of people jumping into creating videos of themselves. Whether it's endless Zoom meetings, TikTok, or marketing and branding for your work, it seems like everyone is on the video bandwagon. The problem with that is not everyone is good at it. In this episode, Blanca Cobb who is a world-renowned body language expert shares tips on being better in front of the camera whether it's for personal or professional reasons! Where to find Blanca on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BlancaCobb/ https://www.instagram.com/blancacobb/ https://www.twitter.com/blancacobb/ http://blancacobb.com/ Support the Show.

People are fascinated by airline pilots. Maybe it's the uniform. Could be the elusive air they give off. So whenever they get the chance, people like to ask pilots a lot of questions. I'm joined by a commercial airline pilot in this episode and I'm asking him the questions that people chimed in that they wanted to know the answers to. Questions like: It was an entertaining discussion that you won't want to miss, so grab your favorite cocktail and let's get started! Support the Show.

In this episode, I'm joined by International Body Language Expert, Blanca Cobb and we discuss the state of relationships during this (or any) trying time. A lot of people are finding their relationships in trouble but we dig into whether that's the fault of the virus or whether the relationship sucked beforehand and being forced to isolate is making people figure that out. Other points: Explicit marked for a couple of colorful words that were dropped. Where to find Blanca on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BlancaCobb/ https://www.instagram.com/blancacobb/ https://www.twitter.com/blancacobb/ http://blancacobb.com/ Support the Show.

This week I'm talking to the wife of a commercial airline pilot to dispel some of the myths about the pilot life. What's the deal on flying free? How has COVID-19 changed the daily routine of the air industry from the inside view? What is the routine life like? And of course, are the rumors about pilot shenanigans true? Support the Show.

This will be the shortest podcast ever. Just working on getting things in place and telling you what you can expect! Support the Show.