Gratitude Through Hard Times

In this conversation, Chris Schembra interviews Enrico Galasso, the CEO of Peroni, an iconic Italian beer brand. They discuss Enrico's new book, “Per I Prossimi 175 Anni”, the importance of empathy and meaningful connections in leadership, and the challenges and opportunities of managing a brand with a long history. Enrico emphasizes the need for leaders to be adaptable, to learn from both successes and failures, and to create a culture of connection and psychological safety. They also explore the value of investing in a premium experience and the role of emotions and experiences in building a brand. Enrico talks about Peroni's efforts to translate the Italian lifestyle into a global success, focusing on rugby and Ferrari as partnerships that embody the brand's values. He emphasizes the importance of empathy in leadership and shares his personal journey of becoming more empathic. Enrico's purpose is to leave a better place for future generations and to give his children the opportunity to be happy. The conversation highlights the power of authenticity, simplicity, and connection in leadership. Support Enrico’s New Book HERE https://www.store.rubbettinoeditore.it/catalogo/per-i-prossimi-175-anni/ Takeaways Sound Bites Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Earthquake 01:10 Welcoming Repeat and New Listeners 03:36 Enrico's Book and Peroni's History 04:15 Expressing Gratitude to Enrico's Father 07:18 Remembering Challenging and Great Moments in Peroni's History 10:15 Understanding the Present Moment and Building the Future 12:25 Learning from Successes and Failures 13:24 Managing Ambiguity and Elevating Excellence 15:35 Creating a Culture of Connection and Horizontal Leadership 19:10 Avoiding Excuses and Investing in People 21:22 Investing in a Premium Experience and Building a Brand 23:25 The Shift Towards Premiumization 25:18 Investing in People's Well-being and Talent 25:45 Translating the Italian Lifestyle into Global Success 26:42 The Power of Rugby and Ferrari in Peroni's Brand 31:36 The Importance of Empathy in Leadership 41:24 Leaving a Better Place for Future Generations 45:34 Authenticity, Simplicity, and Connection in Leadership

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, we're thrilled to welcome Lisa Besserman, a luminary in both the technology and venture capital worlds. Lisa, the Founder of Startup Buenos Aires—which was successfully acquired—has made remarkable strides in the tech industry, earning her a spot among Business Insider's "Top 100 Most Influential Women in Tech," alongside notable figures like Sheryl Sandberg and Arianna Huffington. It's worth noting, with a humble chuckle, that she ranked #94 on this illustrious list. Currently, Lisa serves as the Head of Innovation at JP Morgan Chase Operations. In her role, she collaborates with startups and leverages emerging technologies to address complex challenges within the world's leading financial institution. Before this, she was the Managing Director at Expa VC, a venture fund and startup studio with a $350M investment focus ranging from pre-seed to series A startups. Lisa's entrepreneurial spirit was sparked as the Founder and CEO of Startup Buenos Aires, an accelerator program designed to nurture and connect startups across Latin America. Her influence and insights have been recognized by NBC, Bloomberg TV, Reuters, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, and CNN, and she's shared her knowledge through guest lectures at prestigious institutions like NYU, MIT, Northwestern, Harvard, Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania. Aside from her professional accolades, Lisa shares her personal journey to Everest Base Camp in this episode. She delves into the essence of mountaineering versus hiking, the value of setting finite goals, and the emotional rollercoaster of nights spent on the mountain. Lisa's story is a testament to the power of living in the moment, embracing challenges, and the profound impact of pursuing meaningful goals. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 The Dream of Everest 03:20 Mountaineering as a Finite Goal 05:22 Atelic Activities 06:22 Finding Calm in the Midst of a Daunting Goal 08:57 The Moving Goalpost of Success 11:21 The Challenges of Nights on the Mountain 13:41 Type 1 Fun vs Type 2 Fun 15:42 The Desire to Achieve 17:04 Living in the Present 19:44 Stepping Out of the Future and into the Present 22:02 The Positive Benefits of Bucket List Achievements 23:23 The Impatience of the Impulsive World 27:14 Investing Time for Energy 33:16 Feeling Nothing at the Destination 39:48 The Trainer Who Took a Chance 42:07 Closing Remarks Lisa's multifaceted life—from her accolades in tech to her adventures in the great outdoors—inspires us to pursue our passions, tackle formidable goals, and cherish the moments of tranquility along the way.

We’ve all experienced it: that feeling of being stuck on an endless treadmill. It can be soul-crushing, but our guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times is a peak performance coach is here to help us change the narrative heading into 2024. Erin Stafford, author of "The Type A Trap: Five Mindset Shifts to Beat Burnout and Transform Your Life," explains to Host Chris Schembra the underpinnings for her five mindset shifts. Each of her valuable techniques is designed to check and challenge the assumptions that leave us stuck in overdrive. You’ll learn how to interrupt hyper-focused pursuits, be agile in the face of dead-ends, let go of counter-productive self-criticism and celebrate the wins that are often all too fleeting. “Burn-out will keep knocking on our door. It’s not going anywhere,” says Erin, who has herself been on the frontlines as marketing director for a healthcare brand undergoing exponential growth, “but there are tools you can gather to get you out of that black hole.” Find out about the tools this dynamic keynote speaker uses to help business leaders connect with and honor their highest selves with an attitude of gratitude all along the way! Ready to read Erin’s new book? Click here to get your copy of "The Type A Trap: Five Mindset Shifts to Beat Burnout and Transform Your Life." Or click here to book a discovery call! If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to his newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: The Trap: Type A Profile: Getting Off the Treadmill with Five Key Mindset Shifts:Stress Is Here to Stay: Moving Towards Gratitude: What’s Your Status? featured in her book QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: at this linkthis talk by Laura Gassner Otting ABOUT OUR GUEST: Erin Stafford is a marketing guru, burnout survivor and hyper-growth business leader. From working with the world’s highest achievers throughout her 20+ year career, being a Type A poster child herself and interviewing Olympians, start-up founders, Fortune 500 CEOs, leading researchers and celebrity coaches, Erin has seen firsthand how Type A personalities and constant over-achievement are coveted in the world of business, yet can lead to debilitating burnout. In addition to her current role as the head of marketing for the country’s largest healthcare staffing company, where she leads dozens of marketing professionals and has helped the organization grow by 9x in two years, Erin has made it her mission to help leaders, most recently with her book: "The Type A Trap: Five Mindset Shifts to Beat Burnout and Transform Your Life." FOLLOW ERIN: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | BOOK ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

Nothing creates team buy-in more effectively than the “ownership mindset” espoused by our guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times. What’s the secret sauce? Kerry Siggins, CEO at StoneAge Inc., shares with Host Chris Schembra her powerful building blocks for cultivating workplace cultures rooted in accountability. It’s about caring – for colleagues, customers and ourselves – and ensuring that everyone feels seen and heard as well as empowered to act. She explains how StoneAge, an employee-owned manufacturer of waterjet tools and equipment for industrial cleaning based in Colorado, instills a sense of community and the safety to fail among its 250 employees (all of whom Kerry hopes to see become millionaires one day, thanks to their Employee-Owned Stock Plan, or ESOP). You’ll also hear all about Kerry’s latest passion project, her recently released book, "The Ownership Mindset: A Handbook for Transforming Your Life and Leadership." In it, she highlights her personal “hero’s journey” as well as hard-won lessons about how to conceive and execute corporate strategy. The formula includes several ingredients, the most important of which is learning how to formulate the right questions. Then ask, ask, ask again! Says Kerry: “You learn so much and quickly get to the root of what’s really going on if you’re curious. So that’s my superpower: Questions!” Find out how to find and foster an “ownership mindset” in your workplace by prioritizing gratitude, empathy, agency and curiosity. The show wraps up with a reminder from Chris that in today’s business global environment, these aren’t just soft skills, “they’re the hard skills needed to instill an ownership mindset within your team!” Click here if you’d like to grab a copy of Kerry’s just-released book, "The Ownership Mindset: A Handbook for Transforming Your Life and Leadership." Or check out her podcast, Reflect Forward: Conversations on Leadership, at this link. If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: It’s Never too Late: Why Now and Why This Book?Changing One World at a Time: Defining “Ownership”:Leaning In: Building an Ownership Mindset Culture:How StoneAge Team Members Learn to Take Full AgencyYou Must Act: Three Key Components to an Ownership Mindset:Curiosity is Key:Kerry’s Superpower:Best Advice for Leaders: Research Shows: Gratitude & Recognition: Look Inward: Two Questions to Check Imposter Syndrome and Quiet Self-Doubt: The Power of Reframing: What’s Next for Kerry? QUOTABLE tobecause LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: at this linkherehere ABOUT OUR GUEST: Kerry Siggins is the CEO of StoneAge, Inc., a global leader in designing and manufacturing high-pressure waterblasting and sewer cleaning tools and equipment used in the industrial cleaning industry. StoneAge sells and supports its products throughout the world and has over 170 dealers in 45 countries. She is also the Vice President of the Waterjet Technology Association (WJTA). Kerry joined StoneAge in January of 2007 as the Director of Operations. In 2009, she was named CEO by StoneAge’s Board of Directors and has since led the company in building a robust global presence resulting in double-digit growth year over year. She recently acquired Breadware, an Internet of Things (IoT) product development firm based in Reno, NV. FOLLOW KERRY: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | BLOG ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book,...

Seek the stress. Scale with soul. Embrace your uniqueness. These are just a few of the pearls of wisdom flying fast and furious when Christina Luconi, Chief People Officer at Rapid7, visits with Host Chris Schembra on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times. Her self-awareness, strength and positive vision have not only been central to building out staff for some amazing startup companies (from inception through IPO). These are also the traits that have defined her full and fascinating life – whether taking her teen-aged daughters on a transformational trip to Tanzania or snatching life-giving lessons from a life-changing cancer diagnosis. This is a woman who brings her whole, authentic self to every interaction and in the process offers connection and empathy to others. You’ll learn about how Christina expresses gratitude and the powerful benefits it confers, rippling out in how she frames “negative autobiographical experiences.” Where did she find the courage to reinvent herself at the age of 14 without erasing who she was before? When did she realize that she held within her the ability to embrace things in tension and turn them into opportunity? Christina shares her journey and explains how she has been able to bridge her reality as the lone woman in many C-suites by staying true to her core values: “If you work hard enough, there aren’t a lot of boundaries you can’t overcome. IF you’re committed and drive towards that!” Tune in to find out why this Bostonian dynamo hopped in her car to pay Chris a visit. It’s a very special episode chalk full of “news you can use” and that you won’t want to miss! Interested in hearing more from Christina? She offers a treasure trove of interesting perspectives in more than 200 LinkedIn posts you can find at this link. Check out this brand new website to learn about the keynote topics and workplace leadership trends that are top of mind for Chris these days! And if you’re interested in having a 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribing to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Using the Right Words: Breaking Rules: Three Options for Managing Through a “Negative Autobiographical Experience”:"grateful processing."Why Not Me? Breaking the Ceiling:Buck the Statistics: Leading With Empathy: Be the Change: How Trauma Lands: Scaling With Soul: Rapid7Christina’s World View: Observing Versus Engaging; Empathy Versus Sympathy: Hope & Healing: How365 Days: When In Rome: Three Things From the Conversation:Timing Is Everything: Honor the Moose:Rapid7The 3C Model of Collaborative Leadership: In Parting: Closing the Gratitude Loop: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: here"The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict,"at this link"No One Wins Alone," ABOUT OUR GUEST: Christina Luconi leads Rapid7’s strategic people initiatives as its Chief People Officer. She is responsible for the entire employee lifecycle, with critical focus on recruiting stellar talent, building and inspiring corporate culture, acquisition integration, and “scaling with soul.” Prior to joining Rapid7, Christina was the owner of People Innovations, an independent consulting firm focused on the creation of innovative people strategies for startups and high-growth companies, primarily in the high technology industry. Christina also served as Chief People Officer at @stake, a professional services security firm that she helped build from the launch through its acquisition by Symantec. She also played the role of Vice President of People Strategy at Sapient Corporation. Joining the company prior to its public offering, she was...

Core values take center stage on this heartfelt episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, featuring a highly successful entrepreneur whose accomplishments reflect his commitment to creating human connection. Rich Balot, CEO at Victra (the largest authorized retailer of Verizon products in the nation), is all about fostering innovation, collaboration and integrity – at home, on the job and in his community. That passion for doing the right thing infuses the ethic you’ll encounter at any of his 1,700 locations across all 50 states and in the dedication his 7,500 employees bring to their work. Host Chris Schembra gives us a window into what drives Rich – from his reverence for family to his belief in offering kids alternatives to traditional four-year college educations; from thoughts on how to build a great and growing company to why celebration is critical to making a meaningful life. “If you get a really well-functioning group of people together, you can get way more out of them and they can accomplish much more than they would individually,” says Rich, whose leadership and vision have secured for Victra a place on Inc. Magazine’s list of top 5,000 fastest growing U.S. companies every year over the past decade. Most of all, you’ll come away with the strong sense that – no matter the current economic, technological or political climate – we’re not meant to be in isolation or make the journey all on our own! Don’t miss the far-ranging and fascinating topics that Rich and his team tackle in the Victra Blog. You may also be interested in supporting Haven at Blue Creek, an amazing nonprofit run by Rich’s wife, Colleen, that provides residential support for women in recovery. Check out this brand new website to learn about the keynote topics and workplace leadership trends that are top of mind for Chris these days! And if you’re interested in having a 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribing to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? The Quiet One: The Hitchhiker Rule: Critical Skill: Big-Picture Education: An Entrepreneur is an Entrepreneur: The Pursuit of Happiness:Renewable Resources:Brand Identity: VictraRich Cultivates Human Connection in the Workplace By: What Drives Victra's Success: What Excites Rich Most? In Closing: QUOTABLE ” LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: at this linkhereRon Clark AcademyDwayne J. Clarkthis websiteHaven at Blue Creek ABOUT OUR GUEST: Rich Balot is a serial entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of building successful teams and businesses. Skilled in Business Planning, he also provides coaching expertise in sales and retail strategy as well as how to build a winning culture. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

Are you all in? Our guest, Valeria Torres, wants to know! As Director of Operations & Strategic Consulting at 8 Figure Firm – a fast-growing Atlanta-based provider of professional services for law firms – she is sharing with Host Chris Schembra the key ingredients for leadership success on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times. A research maven, Valeria explains the value in personality assessments and has stats to back up her approach to increasing workplace flow (and life flow, too, for that matter!). You’ll learn about the pivotal figures (shout out to her brother, Pablo) and very personal experiences that have shaped Valeria’s dynamic approach to life. She’s also teaching us how to managing through those inevitable “fight-or-flight” moments and highlighting the benefits that accrue to leaders (at law firms and everywhere else) who recognize the good in themselves and extend that gratitude out towards others. As we know, both from science and lived experience, an atmosphere of empathy in which people feel seen, heard and valued is an atmosphere of growth without limitation. Don’t miss this lively conversation with an industry thought leader whose unique perspective and suggestions will leave you clamoring for more! Whether you’re looking for dedicated consulting, group coaching, marketing management or a mastermind experience, 8 Figure Firm was created by lawyers for lawyers. Founded by Seth Bader and Luis Scott, based on practices developed in their tremendously successful practice, they offer the tools you need to grow the legal team you desire! In other breaking news, please join us in inaugurating a new phase of 7:47’s quest to help amazing companies build strong, connected client and team relationships. With the launch of ChrisSchembra.com comes an exciting opportunity to explore the power of asking the right questions and framing the important conversations. Founder Chris Schembra, the bestselling author of "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours," offers compelling keynotes on topics such as how to elevate workplace engagement by fostering human connection and why it’s critical to cultivate client relationships that are transformational – not just transactional! If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Finding the Words: Making the Climb: Valeria’s Leadership Learnings:Holding Space: Listening vs. Solution Design: Teaching Leaders How to Listen:Leveraging Your Personality Profile:Valeria’s Formula for Strong Law Firm Leadership:Passing on the Gratitude: Getting Into the Flow:Know Your Amygdala: Scaling Gratitude:Opening Doors: Concentric Circles of Gratitude: In Closing: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: 5 Love Languageshere"Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It.""The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer,"at this link ABOUT OUR GUEST: Valeria Torres is the Director of Operations and Business Portfolio Consultant for 8 Figure Firm. She provides operations management methods to law entrepreneurs nationwide, helping them streamline their operations and strengthen their businesses’ portfolios. Using a specialized methodology, she fosters new ways of thinking and develops strategic opportunities and managing projects intended to enhance your law firm’s growth. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him...

We’re shining a light on the difference between luck and blessings when Patty Arvielo, co-founder & CEO of New American Funding, joins host Chris Schembra on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times. Running the largest Latina-owned mortgage company in the U.S. while nurturing a network of younger women coming up behind her, Patty is all about leaning into humanness. She shares the many ways in which gratitude and empathy have served as beacons professionally, as a parent and throughout a 27-year marriage that embodies commitment and respect. You’ll learn about how Patty and her husband, Rick, founded New American Funding in 2003 and grew it into a juggernaut that has underwritten 250,000 mortgages worth $69 billion and employs 4,000 people – a majority of whom are women and 41% of whom are minorities. All this success is rooted in Patty’s intentionality around core values, like creating positive impact and improving the lives of others. Want to manifest abundance and overcome fear? Patty is here with words of wisdom and perspective you won’t want to miss! You can learn much more about what Patty is up to and the mentorship opportunities she hosts by clicking this link to follow her on Instagram and following #WeAllGrow and the many initiatives she supports. Cultivating moments of meaningful connection is hard – and perhaps not a value central to our workplace cultures. But if we show up in vulnerability and truth, we erase poverty of the soul while building great businesses! If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: It All Takes Work: Expressing Gratitude: Consider This: Managing Fear:Climbing Out of the Hole: Being Blessed: Dreams v. Manifestations: Being in the People Business: Seeking Change and Practicing Radical Acceptance: Questioning: Daily Impact: Closing Thoughts: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: "The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts."Hogan Personality Assessmenthere"Grateful Processing,""Seven Primal Questions."this link ABOUT OUR GUEST: Patty is an award-winning entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of New American Funding. A first-generation Hispanic, her path to mortgage industry began at age 16 with a hard-work ethic and an entry-level position at TransUnion Credit. From there, she landed a job at a prominent mortgage company, where she would rise through the ranks and learn the business from the ground up, eventually becoming branch manager and assistant vice president. In 2003, Patty and her husband, Rick Arvielo, launched their own mortgage company, New American Funding. In the years since, Patty has helped transform the company into one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the United States today with a servicing portfolio of over 250,000 loans for $69 billion. She also oversaw the creation and expansion of the company’s retail lending operation, which grew a small local operation to a national powerhouse with more than 170 locations and thousands of employees across the country. Today, Patty oversees nearly 4,000 employees, 54% of whom are women and 41% who are minorities. FOLLOW PATTY: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN| INSTAGRAM | #WeAllGrow ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude...

Are you ready to awaken your greatness? On this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times we learn why Darleen Santore – known affectionately as “Coach Dar” – is all about cultivating self-awareness and clarity – not tomorrow, but today! A bestselling author, she mentors professional athletes at the peak of their careers as well as C-suite leaders across a spectrum of Fortune 500 companies. Host Chris Schembra invites Coach Dar to share insights into the 9 Principles that form the basis for her powerful new book, "The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life -- Any Time You're Off Your Game." We’ve all experienced – and will continue to experience – adversity. That’s just part of the human condition, explains Coach Dar. The question is: Are we willing to do the work and bring the awareness? Do you have the toolkit to ensure “Setbacks don’t define you. Comebacks only refine you.” If not, you’re in luck! You’ll come away from this compelling conversation with actionable ideas to help propel you through even the toughest downturns (which Coach Dar, who has battled back from three strokes, understands very intimately). Based on decades of experience as an occupational therapist, mental strength and conditioning coach, her book is full of scorecards, exercises and a concrete framework to help us find our flow and thrive – even (or especially) when we’re facing hard times! Here’s your invitation to increase mental toughness, resilience and a sense of wellbeing. Embrace your “why” power! Visit this link if you’d like to order Coach Dar’s empowering book full of tips to shift your mindset and ensure peak performance, "The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life -- Any Time You're Off Your Game." If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: Setbacks don’t define you. Comebacks only refine you! Cultivating Resiliency: Raising the Bar: Understanding Principle #6: Actionable Advice: The Transformational Power of Gratitude:About the Journey: It’s All Waves: Words to the Wise:“Why” Power: Remember: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: "Inside Out."here ABOUT OUR GUEST: Known as “Coach Dar,” Darleen Santore helps individuals gain mental strength, clarity and focus in order to live well, lead well and reach new heights. She believes the key to achieving goals and dreams is to Raise the Bar in our thinking and daily approach to life through customized coaching techniques. Coach Dar has spent the past 24 years as an occupational therapist, personal development, and mental strength & conditioning coach helping thousands reach their fullest potential. Her clients range from Fortune 100 executives, artists, professional athletes to high school and college students as well as large organizations. FOLLOW COACH DAR: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | BOOK ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

Welcome to another insightful episode of 'Gratitude Through Hard Times,' where we explore the profound impact of emotional intelligence in leadership and its role in fostering meaningful connections within the workplace. I'm thrilled to introduce our esteemed guest today, Cinzia Beretta, a true trailblazer in the world of global communications and people operations. With over two decades of experience, Cinzia has not only honed her expertise in culture, employee engagement, talent growth, and leadership development, but she has also become a champion of emotional intelligence. Her passion for her Italian heritage and her remarkable journey within a multinational American company have provided her with a unique perspective on the power of EQ. In this episode, we have the privilege of delving into Cinzia's wealth of experience and wisdom. She will share practical insights on how to leverage emotional intelligence to transform leadership styles and achieve remarkable results. Cinzia's approach is grounded in authenticity, empathy, and self-awareness — key pillars of EQ that can revolutionize the way we connect with others. In a world where the dynamics of workplaces are constantly evolving, Cinzia's insights remind us of the timeless value of emotional intelligence. By embracing these principles, we can navigate challenges, nurture genuine connections, and pave the way for exceptional personal and professional growth. If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: Importance of Connection: Gratitude, empathy, and human connection in the workplace for meaningful interactions. Workplace Challenges: Addressing disengagement crisis and loneliness epidemic, advocating for authentic connections. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Introduction of EQ as a solution for better relationships, based on the EQ I 2.0 model. Mindset Shift: Emphasizing present moment awareness, acknowledging emotions, and demonstrating empathy in leadership. EQ I 2.0 Model: Overview of the five key areas - self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal relationships, decision-making, stress management. Living in the Present: Discussion on the value of being present, fostering authentic interactions and connections. EQ and Leadership: Exploring EQ's role in effective leadership and building meaningful workplace relationships. EQ and Well-Being: Linking EQ to personal well-being and improved performance, leading to a positive outlook. Practicing EQ: Encouragement to actively develop emotional intelligence, cultivate empathy, and create genuine connections. QUOTABLE ABOUT OUR GUEST: Cinzia Beretta is a multicultural global leader living in Italy. She is passionate about diversity, cultures, languages, inclusiveness and building meaningful human connections across the globe. Her energy comes from leading and working with senior leaders, teams and individuals, enabling them to thrive, unleash their potential and stay engaged with experiential learning, transformative growth programs, coaching and culture communication. She has spent her 20+ year career working in a variety of communication areas, focusing in particular on culture and employee engagement and (more recently) on leadership development in a big multinational company. On top of her communication activities, she currently leads multi-language learning, growth and coaching programs for emerging leaders, to accelerate their transformative growth in international environments and retain top talents during moments of change. She believes coaching and emotional intelligence are key to help leaders (and people in general) connect with other human beings in an authentic way and pursue a fulfilled balanced and...

Welcome Back to Gratitude Through Hard Times! You’ll learn on this episode how one of the nation’s insurance leaders is fueled by authenticity and vulnerability, superpowers available to all of us if we’re brave enough to go there. In the case of our guest, Heath Ritenour, a bout with cancer proved an opportunity to drop the corporate mask in favor of prioritizing human connection among the 1,500 employees and 72,000 customers affiliated with Insurance of America (IOAUSA), among the nation’s largest private agencies. We learn about how Heath came to embrace the family business, founded by his parents, and carve out a leadership style that has supported exponential growth. As he explains to Host Chris Schembra, Heath has reaped profound rewards through the practice of gratitude, personally and in the workplace context. He doesn’t bother with the posturing and business armor so many of us reflexively wear, looking instead for those human places where relationships flourish. It’s a formula that attracts and retains great talent and cements loyalty among customers in direct proportion. “The transformational side of building deeper relationships and being open, of being connected with your team, is more growth, more profit and a happier, more cohesive team,” says Heath. And that’s exactly how things have played out at Orlando-based IOA’s 60 locations and counting. Empathy is woven into the corporate fabric and serves as an invitation for growth through hard times. So go ahead! Be brave. Drop the mask and make that shift. When we remember to witness life’s blessings, we are generating more of the same. It’s all a question staying mindful, says Heath: “It’s not what you gotta do but what you get to do!” Want to follow what the thought leaders at IOAUSA are up to? You can find their blog at this link. You can also learn all about their corporate 1° Difference philosophy by clicking here. If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Shifting Mindset: About Authenticity: Leaning Into Vulnerability: Getting Real: Tip of the Hat to Mom & Dad: If Not You, Who?Exponential Growth:It’s the Setbacks! The Impediment to Action Advances Action: Heath’s Top Advice:Closing Thoughts: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: hereat this linkherethis episodethis websitethis episode ABOUT OUR GUEST: Heath has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years, and I currently serve as chairman of Insurance Office of America (IOA). He also holds the property and casualty general lines (2-20) and health and life (including variable annuity contracts, 2-15) insurance licenses. His experience with insurance includes personal, business, risk management, and countless other types of coverage. Since becoming a member of the team in 1996, Heath has worked with his peers and professional network to continue expanding and improving IOA — which is now one of the largest privately held insurance agencies in the country.He also plays an active role as president of the IOA Foundation and is proud to have been acknowledged as an industry leader. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our...

If you haven’t been part of the conversation about Human Resources and its impacts on workplace cultures and society at large, then you need to check out Hacking HR, a global community of 350k+ members invested in transforming the way we live. Founder Enrique Rubio joins Host Chris Schembra on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times for a blunt exploration of what it means to demonstrate human-centered core values and how that translates into critical business ROI in the form of retention, productivity and positivity that uplifts not only enterprises but the lives of everyone we touch. Enrique challenges us to look in the mirror and ask: Are you practicing kindness, compassion and empathy in your daily transactions and – if not – why not? Is your ego or a sense of entitlement keeping you from meaningful connection in the workplace or on the elevator, at the grocery store or over the course of transacting business? A vocal advocate for giving remote work a chance, Enrique shares thoughts on leveraging our roles – whether as leaders or individual contributors – for social change in the workplace and beyond. You’ll also learn about why mental health is a critical component of overall corporate health and how we can find in gratitude the baseline for starting important conversations. “There are so many things we can do in HR to leave an incredible legacy of transforming work for good,” says our guest. “We know that it’s not fluffy and doesn’t make you weak.” Join us for a fascinating no-holds-barred discussion that will challenge you to bring your best self to work and every other area of your life. And don’t forget those words of affirmation, an investment in positivity you’ll never regret! To hear more of Enrique’s groundbreaking insights, tune in to his Hacking HR Podcast, featuring a range of leading innovators in the human relations space. You can also join his huge and growing Hacking HR community by clicking this link. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a fellow trailblazer! Click here to hear all the fascinating conversations Chris has had with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. KEY TOPICS: Meeting of the Minds: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? The Power of Modeling: Hacking HR: Trailblazing Ambitions: Understanding the Gap: The Role of Gratitude: Enrique’s Two-Pronged Gratitude and Appreciation:Operationalizing Empathy: Two Sides of the Same Coin: Regarding Retention: Epidemic of Entitlement: The Language of Gratitude: Parting Thoughts: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: "What Great Managers Do to Engage Employees.""Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Dark Hours." ABOUT OUR GUEST: Enrique Rubio is passionate about Human Resources, People Operations, Technology and Innovation. He is an Electronic Engineer, Fulbright Scholar and Executive Master in Public Administration with a focus on HR. Also certified in Design Thinking, Scrum Master and PMP, Enrique has over the past 20 years worked in the HR and tech worlds. He is very interested in the digitization of the workplace, Human Resources and the intersection of the future of work, technology and HR. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he...

Are you tired of constantly comparing yourself to others? Do you feel like you're not measuring up to society's standards of success? In this episode of "Gratitude Through Hard Times," host Chris Schembra interviews Shauna Schwartz, author of "How to Stop Caring What Others Think for Real," about the concept of internal success. Shauna explains how internal success differs from external success factors such as grades, money, and career achievement, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing internal growth and development. She also discusses the negative impact of the hoax of self-esteem on children and encourages people to embrace failure as a path to personal success and growth. Shauna's book focuses on bringing acceptance to the reality in front of us and shifting our focus from external factors of success to our internal essence. She emphasizes that leaders cannot see themselves as puppeteers who control everything and everyone around them. Instead, they need to recognize that the people they lead are not puppets and cannot be controlled. The desire for control can create unhealthy anxiety and lead to unhealthy behavior from leaders. Chris and Shauna discuss the importance of emotional regulation in leadership and how it relates to dialectical behavioral therapy. If you're ready to shift your focus from external success factors to your internal essence, this episode is for you. Join Chris and Shauna as they discuss the importance of recognizing internal growth and development, embracing failure, and letting go of the need for control. 💭 What does success mean to you? Is it all about external factors like money and career achievement or is there more to it? 💬 Do you think the hoax of self-esteem can have negative effects on children? How can we encourage them to embrace failure and personal growth? 💥 The desire for control can create unhealthy anxiety and lead to unhealthy behavior from leaders. It's time to shift our focus from external factors of success to our internal essence. 🌟 Embracing the three C's - complaints, criticism, and compliments - can lead to personal success and growth. Let's focus on balancing acceptance and change to achieve internal success.

In the world of marketing, customer advocacy has moved in recent years from a piecemeal hit-or-miss effort to a scalable discipline and Ari Hoffman is at the forefront. Vice President of Customer Marketing & Advocacy at Influitive, he shares his powerful framework on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times with Host Chris Schembra. It’s all about building authentic community and loyalty to your brand, product or service not by soliciting the same customer testimony over and over again but by engaging fans as part of a growing, dynamic ecosystem. You’ll learn what makes this marketing approach so powerful, how Ari rolls out programs that generate customer obsession across sectors and why defaulting to ad-based lead generation is not the way to go in times of recession. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to connect with customers in meaningful ways and turn them into spontaneous evangelists for your company, then here’s your starting place. Ari is a thought leader with the set of tools (like his DRIVE methodology) you’ll need on the journey! Learn more about Influitive’s Fearless 50 Elite 18 Awards and how to nominate, vote for or otherwise celebrate the customer-led marketers whose work you appreciate most! If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: Freeze and Squeeze: Customer Obsession: Fearless 50 and Elite 18:Moving Messages: Stepping Stones for Moving Towards Customer Engagement:Incentivize customer advocacy by offering in exchange things like:Giving versus Taking: Why Customer Obsession is a can’t-lose campaign because it’s all about:Spreading the Love: Fearless 50Uncovering Marketing Gold: DRIVE Advocacy: Leveling Up: The Hero’s (and Heroine’s) Journey: Value Realization: If It’s Just Transactional, It Won’t Work!Fearless 50 QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: hereTop Customer Experience Trendsat this linkVisit this linkClick here"Promotion to Emotion: Connecting B2B Customers to Brands."groundbreaking research on happiness and the power of positivity. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Ari Hoffmanis the VP of Customer Marketing and Advocacy at Influitive. His human-first approach to work and passion for customer success are fixtures of his career. A seasoned veteran and trusted advisor, Ari supports customer-centric businesses, primarily in the enterprise SaaS industry. He is a natural organizer and people-connecter, using empathy to relentlessly shine light on others. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

Get ready for fascinating and relevant insights on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, featuring Jim Harter, PhD, Gallup’s Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing. He’s sharing with Host Chris Schembra all the eye-opening research and analysis behind his latest book (co-authored with Jim Clifton of the Clifton Strengths Assessment),"Culture Shock: An unstoppable force has changed how we work and live. Gallup's solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time." The key takeaway? Nothing cements employee performance, satisfaction and retention more effectively than regular, meaningful conversations – especially when they include recognition for work well done. It costs leaders very little and, data indicate, pays off over and over again in bottom-line results. Dr. Jim explains the research and analysis that the Gallup organization has undertaken to address the biggest leadership challenges of our time, including the stresses of remote work, the limited wellbeing associated with four-day work weeks and the critical role that empathy plays in engaging with and bringing out the best in our workplace cultures. Dr. Jim’s new book is jam-packed with stats and evidence-backed solutions to align your company’s purpose with employee satisfaction – which ultimately translates into that all-important customer success! Want to hear much more from Dr. Jim Harter? Pick up a copy of his latest collaboration, "Culture Shock," check out his bestselling book, "12:The Elements of Great Managing" or click here to check out "Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements." If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Culture Shock: Important Findings:A Great Reset:Customer Success: Managing Strengths: Manager to Employee to Customer: Changing the Dialogue: Meaningful Conversations: Components of Meaningful Conversations:Wellbeing v. Engagement: Blenders and Splitters:Step. No. 1: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: Clifton Strengths Assessment"What Great Managers Do to Engage Employees." ABOUT OUR GUEST: Jim Harter, Ph.D., is Chief Scientist for Gallup's workplace management and wellbeing practices. He is the coauthor of the No. 1 Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller, "It's the Manager", released in 2019. His work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Time magazine in addition to many academic publications. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

On this very special episode Gratitude Through Hard Times, Host Chris Schembra and his guest, Drahomíra Mandikova, celebrate meaningful connection and its power to generate profitable solutions not just for shareholders but the world at large. Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Asahi Europe & International, “Drahus” (as she is known to friends) shares with us the unique North Star principles that drive one of the world’s largest alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer companies, with 19 breweries exporting to 90 markets globally. You will be intrigued to learn about the meaning, power and intentionality behind Asahi’s emphasis on four simple words: “Let’s have a beer.” It’s about bringing awareness and building community – person to person – as the foundation to individual wellness and a sustainable “human-environmental ecosystem.” For Drahus, the first step is the critical one: Pause. Reflect on the talent, passion and ultimate purpose you bring, as well as the legacy you wish to leave. Her values-driven vision has shaped Prague-based Asahi’s workplace culture and brought clarity to the company’s mission statement. “We have all these goals,” says Drahus, “but to really bring them to life and enjoy the good feeling, we need to be in the present, work together and create connections to step-by-step bring about those long-term dreams.” We are on the road together, folks, and it starts with gratitude! If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could thank someone who helped you through some of your darkest hours, who would that be and what were you going through? A Moment of Reflection: 2030 Legacy of Good:A Mentor’s Advice: Empathy is Everything:Embracing Failure: Brand Purpose: Remarkable Marketing: The Problem of Loneliness: Asahi’s Legacy Mission Includes Being Bold:Drahus’s Personal Purpose: What She’s Up To:Action Item: Remember:Why Do We Do What We Do? Parting Thought: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: here"Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong." ABOUT OUR GUEST: Drahomíra started her career working for the banking sector in Slovakia. In 2000, she joined Plzensky Prazdroj in Slovakia, and worked in a variety of Corporate Affairs roles, before becoming Corporate Affairs Director in the Czech Republic in 2010. She played a key role in the integration of the Czech and Slovak businesses and contributed to strengthening a positive reputation of Prazdroj as the most responsible company in the Czech Republic. She was also seconded to SABMiller in India to support them with their long-term CA strategy. Drahomíra became Corporate Affairs Director of Asahi Europe in 2017 and following this Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of the newly created Asahi Europe & International in 2021. FOLLOW OUR GUEST: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

You’ve got the business, the car, the boat, the house. You’re blessed with a great family, friends, access to more than your wildest dreams. But something is missing. Something is gnawing at you. If this sounds familiar, you may be in need of “soul fulfillment,” which is what Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times has provided thousands of people. At his Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica, Founder & CEO Gerry Powell offers comprehensive plant-based medicine retreats. The modalities work at a deep level to help remove shame, fear, trauma and the anger that fuels – and is a downfall for – so many hyper-successful people. You’ll learn about Gerry’s transformational journey and how he stepped away from the multimillion-dollar serial IPO lifestyle he thought would bring him happiness – but that instead left him profoundly empty and suicidal. Working with plant-based shamanic techniques opens up new pathways to self-acceptance and compassion. It’s a journey that 97% of Rythmia participants describe as nothing short of a “miracle,” a source of relief and revelation that transcends our ingratitude, confusion and old, unhealed wounding. Most of all, says Gerry, people leave his one-week retreats with an entirely new regard for life: “I made it out of sheer perseverance and brutality, but there are so many other ways to do it and feel different.” You’re invited to explore and see your soul’s fulfillment in a completely new way! More information about the medically licensed plant medicine and transformational retreat experience offered at Rythmia is available at this link, along with a video about Gerry’s very personal journey to wellness (here). If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: When the Bucket Doesn’t Feel Full: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – or that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? The Gift of Perspective: Sections in Chris’s book that are relevant to plant medicine:Feeling the Feelings: Repairing the Fraction: @RythmiaComing from Ingratitude: Plant Medicine:Knowing When You’re Ready: The Comeback Story: Joining the Tribe: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: at this link"Grateful Processing,""The Magic of Thinking Big,"Agape Spiritual Center"Six Emotional Arcs of Storytelling." ABOUT OUR GUEST: Gerry is Founder and CEO of Rythmia, an all-inclusive, luxury, medically licensed plant medicine center in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. His singular goal is to serve guests and help each individual get their Miracle. FOLLOW GERRY: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | TWITTER|INSTAGRAM ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

These are bumpy times economically and for many of us it’s a period of professional redefinition. What path are we on and is it the career we truly desire? How can we best showcase our skill sets and the value-add we bring? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times has a methodology that focuses on these questions and much more. Loren Greiff, Founder & President at PortfolioRocket, has developed a framework that’s applicable across industry sectors as well as the many phases of our career development. It’s as much about defining our own core values and the expertise we offer as it is identifying the workplace culture best suited to our fundamental vision. Loren shares her proprietary four-step process for reimagining – and bringing to reality – a job that feels like exactly the right fit. You’ll come away inspired to redefine what you bring to the table and leverage your network – most especially those 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree contacts that hold far more promise than you might imagine! The market right now is fluid, but the one thing that remains consistent always, says Loren, is the importance of being fully ourselves and clear about what we have to contribute: “This is not about contorting yourself and playing Cirque du Soleil with your career,” says Loren, who also hosts Career Blast in a Half. “This is about really advocating and treating yourself as somebody who is going to transform an organization.” If you’re ready to retool your career trajectory, now is the time to book a discovery call with Loren, which you can do at this link. You’ll also find inspiration and wisdom in her podcast, Career Blast in a Half. If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Yes, And: Research shows that thought leaders are regarded as having two things:Applying the Methodology: Shedding the Cloak:ShelteringLoren’s Four-Step Proprietary Process:Shout-Out for Eileen Jones: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: Letter 13hereStanford's study: "Strength Through Weak Ties""Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,""Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers,"Big Questions with Cal Fussmanhere ABOUT OUR GUEST: Loren Grieff’s career took off in New York as a VP at J. Walter Thompson. For the past decade+ she has established herself as a top performer recognized for a unique ability to serve demanding clients, identify talent unicorns and drive excellence in the industry. PortfolioRocket is the culmination of more than 25 years of corporate design and marketing positions across global agencies, corporate in-house teams, creative staffing and management consulting. FOLLOW LOREN: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | PODCAST ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times issues an unmistakable call to action: Join the crusade for workplace openness and compassion! Host Chris Schembra’s guest, Geoff McDonald, is explaining the business and moral case for making mental health integral to our corporate cultures. Why? Because beyond fostering top performance and competitive advantage, it saves lives. As a keynote speaker and business transformation consultant with decades of HR leadership at Unilever, Geoff is uniquely positioned to destigmatize the mental health challenges that are all too common in today’s noisy world. Having navigated a diagnosis of anxiety-fueled depression, he understands the paralyzing impacts and basic ingredients for restoring equilibrium. His experience was painful and frightening but, as Geoff shares, it was also an invitation to enable change and human connection. You’ll learn through this conversation how a combination of unconditional love and willingness to be vulnerable ultimately empowered Geoff, a UK-based native of South Africa, to open a global dialogue around mental health in the workplace. “Too often we have not focused on the concept of the health and energy of our people as a critical enabler of performance,” says Geoff. But we can reject stigma and isolation! Join us as Geoff outlines the steps we can take to bring more gratitude, kindness, quality of life and bottom-line results to our workplaces! If you want to be further inspired by Geoff’s perspective on mental health and wellbeing as key indicators for thriving workplace cultures, check out his powerful TedX Talk, "Let's Talk About Mental Health." If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories about Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: Midnight, January 25, 2008: The Power of Love: Four Ingredients that Healed Geoff’s Anxiety-Fueled Depression:Common Conditions: Implementing the Cure: About a Finite Resource: Making Mental Health and Wellbeing a Strategic Priority:Chris Captures the Alchemy: In closing, please join this crusade by doing three things: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: Alastair CampbellWorkHuman Live Conference"Let's Talk About Mental Health." ABOUT OUR GUEST: Geoff McDonald is now best known as a global advocate, campaigner and consultant who is passionate about addressing the stigma of mental ill health in workplaces, and about helping organizations embed purpose as a key driver of business performance. Prior to this he was the Global VP of Human Resources for Unilever. In 2008 he was diagnosed with anxiety fueled depression, recovery from which led him to discover a new personal purpose. And in 2014 he left his role with Unilever to devote his time, energy and expertise to ending the stigma of depression and anxiety in the workplace. He tells his powerful story to audiences around the globe, knowing first-hand that talking about mental health saves lives. FOLLOW GEOFF: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE| TWITTER ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

Have you transcended the transactional? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times embodies the abundance that flows from giving without the constant expectation of receiving in return. Galen Hair, a highly successful plaintiff’s attorney, speaker, author and podcaster, has built his practice around a purpose-driven approach to both law and service. The outcome? Prosperity, yes. But yet more importantly Galen and his team at Insurance Claim HQ are working for clients they believe in arguing cases with merit. They come from a place of gratitude and, as Galen explains, “I find that when you give something without expecting anything you tend to get much better stuff in return.” In this case, we’re talking about the huge impacts his firm of 119 employees with more than $30 million in annual revenue is making on behalf of 10,000 clients. You’ll learn how his involvement with Hurricane Katrina clean-up in New Orleans foreshadowed the meaning-infused work Galen would go on to do as an attorney representing those who have been wronged and evolving his industry’s mindset through platforms such as his Level Up Claims Summit, the nation’s No. 1 property casualty conference, which takes place this year on June 9th in New Orleans. Click here to learn more and register! If you’d like to connect with Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link. Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times. KEY TOPICS: Giving for the Sake of Giving: In the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Embracing Purpose: How to Practice Law with Integrity:Staying on Task: Timing and the Universe: Building Community: Level Up Claims SummitThe Proverbial Silver Lining:Parting Thought: The Bookkeeping of Benefits: QUOTABLE LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES: Bader Scott Injury LawyersCrisp coaching programStudent Hurricane NetworkLevel Up Claims SummitLucius SenecaAdam Grant"Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.""Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success," ABOUT OUR GUEST: Galen M. Hair, an aggressive and relentless litigator, is licensed in multiple states and boasts clients from around the world. He focuses not only on the litigation in front of the client, but the long-term personal and business effects that his clients’ issues will cause. A best-selling author, he has already helped thousands of policyholders navigate their own insurance claims. He’s a national speaker on all areas of insurance recovery and has won numerous accolades, stays active in non-profits and the community at large. He also is an Assistant Examiner for the Louisiana Bar Exam in Constitutional Law. FOLLOW GALEN: WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | CONFERENCE| PODCAST ABOUT OUR HOST: Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times. FOLLOW CHRIS: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS