Life Through Transitions | Helping you navigate life's biggest changes

How do you live in a risky world? How do you live in a world where “normal” is a state of constant flux? It seems that every day - either in our personal or professional lives, our country or somewhere on the planet - disruptive change is happening. Even if it’s not directly happening to us - like with a war or natural disaster - we experience it at some level just by reading the news. And doesn’t it seem like in the last few years the rate of change is speeding up and felt in every facet of life? Most systems, institutions, societal structures, and governments feel a bit shaky (or a lot!). No wonder most of us feel uncertain as we look to the future. In this episode, we explore how to embrace major life change in search of a story worth living and risking for. During this episode, Matt mentions the artist and climber, Jeremy Collins who did an animated short called “The Beast.” You can find the full version on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/131834761 Looking for more about this podcast and Liminal Space? Click here.

David Emerald is the author of The Power of Ted* (*The Empowerment Dynamic) and the co-founder of the Bainbridge Leadership Center. David is the creator of The Power of Ted* frameworks that are used around the world to facilitate teamwork and productivity. David works in close collaboration with his wife and business partner, Donna Zajonc, MCC and together they have developed the 3 Vital Questions™ frameworks and eLearning Course: 3 Vital Questions: Applying The Power of TED* to Life and Work. He is passionate about helping teams learn to shift out of drama and focus on outcomes they are excited about. David uplifts, enlightens and inspires individuals and groups to reach new levels of collaboration through empowering relationships. In this episode we will explore the ideas of moving from the role of Victim to Creator.

Peggy Farah, LMHC is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Mindfulness Instructor and Workshop facilitator, and The Founder of The Deeper Cravings Path™ (food and body recovery curriculum) and Release™ (women’s art and meditation retreats). Peggy has a Masters in Psychotherapy and Spirituality and has worked in the field of mental health and emotional health for over 20 years. In the early part of her career she supported children and youth through critical illness, grief and loss, then went on to work in various senior management roles in nonprofit organizations and has now been in private practice for the past 6 years providing psychotherapy to individuals and couples. Peggy is passionate about helping others awaken to their lives through mindfulness and nourishing what they are truly hungry for

Michael O’Brien is a sales and marketing executive business coach who helps leaders understand their internal feelings of worry and doubt so they can achieve success for themselves and their teams. Before starting his executive coaching firm, Peloton Coaching and Consulting, Michael spent over two decades in the pharmaceutical and bio industry in roles that ranged from sales to marketing to executive leadership. Before launching into his coaching career, Michael experienced a life-altering event that ruptured his worldview. On July 11th, 2001, he was struck head-on by a speeding SUV while out on a training bike ride. Now, Michael considers shares his journey from being a human doer to a human being in his bestselling memoir, Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows. All the proceeds from the book go to the World Bicycle Relief

It all started for Jenny when her husband said one evening that he’d been feeling a bit dizzy. No big deal, right? Call the doctor, get to the bottom of it…boom…fixed!? Not quite. A simple trip to internal medicine and an MRI turned into brain surgery two days later, followed by a diagnosis of brain cancer (glioblastoma … same type as John McCain, Beau Biden, Teddy Kennedy). And then 8 months of cancer & caregiving, and then he was gone. She set out to write the book that she wanted so desperately to find when she first became a widowed parent at the age of 43. She wanted to know what to expect. Kind of like that book “What To Expect When You’re Expecting.” But more like “what to expect when the other parent dies.” She had been kicking the idea of a podcast around for over two years, trying to figure out what approach would make sense.-because she’s not a therapist or a grief counselor. Jenny Lisk is the host of a podcast called The Widowed Parent. Her shows offers advice and her story as a fellow widowed parent on a mission … a mission to help her kids to somehow thrive in spite of their terrible loss.

Brian Jaeger’s mission is supporting the dignity of good work. He brings a legacy of entrepreneurialism, career development, and transformation-centered work to his company, InsideWorks. His career highlights include business partnerships, I.T. leadership training, teaching, championing business incubators and influencing over 500 startup businesses. Launched in 2012, InsideWorks was awarded the 2016 Washington State Small Firm of the Year award for achievement championing people living with a disability to become self-employed. Since 2016 he has been researching and scratching out content for a book with a working title: What’s Your Retirementality? A Guide for Individuals and Companies. He supports individuals by helping them thrive in the next chapter of their life, and works with companies who do not want to lose their brain trust when employees break away. Brian is fanatical about motivating individuals to thrive through work that matters. During this week’s episode, Brian talks about the importance of finding your origin story as as you approach retirement.

Curtis Romjue serves as President of First Aid Arts. He was raised in the Hawaiian islands and the Pacific Northwest. In 2003, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle Pacific University where he studied Latin American Studies and Philosophy. He traveled extensively during college and learned about modern slavery. He developed the philosophy "Do what you love to fight what you hate" and formed JUBILEE in 2004 as the first 501(c)(3) nonprofit rock band in the United States using music to combat human trafficking. Curtis has worked closely with International Justice Mission since 2003 and developed First Aid Arts in response to the needs of IJM social workers serving survivors of sex trafficking and slave labor. In this episode, Curtis shares about his calling in the world and how he pieced together the clues to find it.

Corey Blake began his storytelling career as an actor, starring in one of the 50 greatest Superbowl commercials of all time (Mountain Dew, Bohemian Rhapsody) and in campaigns for American Express, Miller Beer, Mitsubishi, Wrigley's Gum, Hasbro, and other name brands. Today, Corey is the founder and CEO of Round Table Companies (RTC), the publisher of Conscious Capitalism Press, and a speaker, artist, and storyteller. He has been featured on the cover of the Wall Street Journal and his work in storytelling has been quoted/featured in the New York Times, USA Today, and Inc., Forbes, and Wired Magazines. Corey pioneered the business comic book, packaging and publishing dozens of titles—including best sellers by Tony Hsieh, Marshall Goldsmith, and Robert Cialdini, and has spent over a decade guiding CEOs, founders, and thought leaders to set up a storytelling ecosystem around their brand, including writing the book they were born to write. His work has yielded 15 Independent Publisher Awards, a Belding, a Bronze Lion, and a London International Advertising Award. His articles have been published in Writer Magazine, and on FastCompany, Forbes.com and The Huffington Post. He is also the creator of the Vulnerability Wall—whose clients include Microsoft, ADP, Marketo, and Workday—and the Vulnerability is SexyTM card game. His documentary of the same name won 2017 ADDY and HERMES awards for branded content. Corey travels around the country delivering keynotes and facilitating storytelling workshops for organizations of all sizes. In this episode, Corey shares from two early career transitions that helped him reframe some personal beliefs and eventually helped him go from victim to creative agent.

Heather Abbott is a speaker, therapist, storyteller, gardener, beloved wife, and mother of three busy daughters. In the fall of 2017 she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and spent the next 9 months in full time treatment. She is now cancer-free and spending her time with her kids, writing her books, and speaking about the power of hope in dark places. Join us this week as Heather takes us on her journey of finding out she had cancer, being a mother and being a cancer survivor.

Jessie is an adventurous, spirited, silly person whose path was traumatically interrupted in 2012 when a tree fell on her family car while on a family vacation. As a result, she lost both of her parents and became a quadriplegic at the C-3, C-4 level. After the accident, Jessie began the long journey to figure out how to do life and where she fit in again. For the first two years she focused solely on her body and regaining as much function as she could. But Jessie wanted more than simply being alive; she wanted to be more than just a broken vessel in constant need of maintenance. She wanted a life, and set out to create one.

Haifa Fakih Alhussieni was born in Beirut, Lebanon on November 21, 1967, the fourth of eight children. Haifa started her career as an interior designer after graduating from Lebanese American University in 1992. Then, she opened a recruiting agency with her brother in 1996. In 1997, she met her Husband, Nabil Alhussieni, and moved to Livonia, Michigan where she had her first child, and then her second after moving to California. After staying home with her two children for four years, Haifa and her husband decided to open a Tax business, Liberty Tax Service, where she gained an in-depth understanding of taxes. Four years later they moved to Washington and started a new venture, Café Louvre. In this episode, Haifa walks us through her journey of starting her latest business, and how it has morphed into more than just a coffee shop.

Anne Sugar is an executive coach and speaker who has advised top leaders at companies including TripAdvisor, Sanofi Genzyme, and Havas. Anne serves as an executive coach for Harvard Business School Executive Education and has guest lectured at MIT. She is also a contributor to Harvard Business Review and Inc. She managed media planning for Fortune 500 clients including General Motors, Federal Express, and Delta. She draws on her extensive management experience, as well as her in-depth training in coaching methodology to advise senior executives and high performers transitioning into leadership roles. Throughout this episode Anne walks us through her experience of finding out she had breast cancer after a routine mammogram, and how she navigated through that

In her 20 years as a career and executive coach, facilitator and speaker, Tammy Gooler Loeb has inspired people to love their work. She deeply believes that people owe it to themselves to be happy at work and that everyone can be a leader regardless of their role within an organization. Her practice focuses on career and executive coaching, workplace communication, leadership, and team development in a wide range of sectors and industries. Her podcast, Work From The Inside Out, showcases the stories and practical lessons from people who have found satisfying and meaningful work. Tammy walks us through an early career transition while in her 20s and how she persisted patiently in pursuit of work she loved

Susan is a writer for Harvard Business Review and has published in Fast Company and Thrive Global. Her articles and workshops cover managing yourself in the workplace and career development and have included topics such as overcoming the fear of failure, managing career-envy, taking control of your onboarding and conquering self-doubt. Susan is certified as an executive coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and as a positive psychology coach by Positive Acorn and the Whole Being Institute. Susan is the author of Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work: Evidenced-Based Strategies to thrive in Your Career. In it she makes a compelling case that career satisfaction―and the full engagement that comes with it―is more important than ever in today’s workplace. Her book is a step-by-step guide to help you develop the tools and resources you need to bring more happiness and satisfaction to your work; in your current job or a new one. In this episode, Susan shares from one of her more significant career transitions, and how she moved through it with courage and vulnerability.

Laurie Proctor and Jean Musukevich are co-founders of SOWthat Inc., a transformational and integrative coaching organization that focuses on conscious living and the connection between mind, body and spirit in our personal and professional lives. Before launching SOWthat, Laurie spent more than 25 years in progressive roles within the technology sector in the areas of business development, marketing, management and human talent and acquisition. Before SOWthat, Jean spent over 20 years as a special education teacher, Christ-centered yoga instructor and trauma guide for adults and children affected by cancer. This week’s episode helps our listeners prepare for the Enneagram workshop happening on March 16th at The Pier Learning Center.

Jon and Sharon have been happily married for 42 1/2 years, raised five children in Michigan, have 14 grandchildren, and currently live in Braselton, Georgia. Jon serves as Director of Education at Eagle Ranch in Flowery Branch, Georgia, a therapeutic/counseling residential treatment center for at-risk youth and their families. Sharon serves part-time as Patient Service Manager at Choices Pregnancy Care Center in Gainesville, Georgia, a non-profit ministry helping provide health services and resources to men and women. Jon and Sharon provide a beautiful story of a season of profound loss (loved one and employment) and an opportunity to take a huge leap of faith.

Jon DeWaal serves as the Executive Director and life transition guide at Liminal Space. Throughout his personal life and professional career, Jon has discovered that handling transition well will allow for a deeper and more fulfilling life. Hillary Augustine is a financial alchemist and energetic force for transformation, especially for those navigating change and transition. Hillary brings fresh air and life to all that she encounters. She has blended together a Masters in Accounting from the University of South Florida, a Masters in Counseling from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and a Mixology Certificate from ABC Bartending School. She consults and teaches on a wide range of areas – including: money, values, organizational strategy, and expanded thought. Her brilliance infuses everything around her as she ignites and transmutes fresh understanding into everyday realities. Jon and Hillary will be facilitating a workshop called Navigate Transitions: Learn to guide your life with the Currency Paradigm on March 2nd. In today’s episode, Hillary and Jon will be discussing the transformative power of all life transitions, if we learn to wait and listen to how they are forming us.

Jason Pamer is the producer and writer of the theatrically-released film, "The Heart of Man" -- which can now be viewed on Netflix and all other transactional platforms. He also produced and wrote the critically acclaimed documentary, Rape for Profit which was Executive Produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and can now be viewed on iTunes. He’s the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of www.northwood.io, a media company that connects and contextualizes peer reviewed research in academia into industry. Jason also serves as executive producer and co-founder of www.heartofmanjourney.com, which helps people go back into their stories and listen to their moments of pain and abuse in order to understand their current plight. He currently has a number of shows and films in development. He lives in Seattle, WA with his Greek wife and two kids. Throughout this week’s episode, Jason walks us through his continuous transitional journey in both life and the film industry and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Shira Miller is passionate about helping people claim the life they deserve. As a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), writer and speaker, Shira helps people get unstuck, activate their potential, and “unleash their inner rock star.” By day, she is the Chief Communications Officer of a $2 billion corporation. After hours, Shira is currently writing a book called Claim It: How to get unstuck, achieve your amazing potential and unleash your inner rock star that provides a roadmap for getting unstuck. Shira is a regular contributor to Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington’s online community that focuses on ending the stress epidemic and promoting wellness. Her story and opinions have been recognized in Shape, Health, First for Women, Quick & Simple, the Atlanta Journal – Constitution, Emory Magazine, bestselling business book The Power of Nice, and Trust Your Gut: How the Power of Intuition Can Grow Your Business.10 years ago as the economic recession hit, Shira’s successful business began to struggle significantly. In the years that followed Shira made a difficult decision to let go of a dream and begin searching for a sustainable next.

Decades ago, Karen helped create the (then) fastest growing company in American history: Compaq Computer. After working at Compaq for fourteen years, she left to begin Oneteam. She now serves as an executive advisor and consultant to CEOs and senior organization leaders to grow their companies — with outcomes including IPOs, acquisitions, market share increases, and dramatic leadership development. Karen’s work has enabled sustained growth in a multitude of companies, from startups to Fortune 500 firms, including Aetna and BMC Software. Karen rose quickly in her leadership at Compaq. After 14 years, she decided to pause from the intense pace of her life and career. It was during this time that she asked some key questions tied to her identity, purpose and joy.