Comfort Via Discomfort

Welcome to EP 055 of the CVD Podcast!! Birthdays are usually a time to celebrate. For Barbie Garcia, her 27th birthday will be one she never forgets because it changed her life FOREVER. Barbie was on a boat off the coast of Mexico celebrating her birthday with her friends. Sounds pretty amazing, right!? It was... until the accident. Barbie told the captain her and a friend wanted to go for a swim. A few minutes later, she jumped into the water and got sucked under the boat while it was still in drive! Her friends lost sight of her and feared for the worst. Barbie was trapped under the boat and the propeller was cutting through her legs! Somehow, Barbie resurfaced and a friend jumped her to save her. Back on the boat, Barbie was fighting for her life. A panic brought out. Barbie could hear all her friends screaming, but didn't know exactly what was happening. Her life was changed forever! Six years later, Barbie is thriving! She is proud owner of two businesses and is on Mexico's National Para Surfing team! In this episode, Barbie gives you an all access pass to that tragic accident and how she's bounced back. Topics she covers: Where you can find and follow Barbie online: https://lapetitepoulainblog.wordpress.com/https://www.instagram.com/barbie_garcia_ritchie/https://nas.io/the-big-wave-with-barbie-garcia Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 054 of the CVD Podcast!! Have you ever heard of a professional best friend? Neither had I... until I met Cassie Heller! She's built a brand called My Friend Cassie in which she is a professional best friend and a life and wellness coach helping creators, entrepreneurs, and young professionals reach their HOTTEST potential without burning out or giving up. Wow! "Behind the scenes, I'm just a punny little lady with big dreams and a tall personality." Cassie is beaming full of amazing energy, positive, and puns! What's so interesting about her journey is that she totally rejected the idea of a life coach. After securing her dream job right out of college, she realized just two years in that this was NOT for her. She started making videos online because she loved listening and helping others. She did NOT want to be "that person" spewing a bunch of life advice when in her early 20s. So, she started the brand My Friend Cassie and then pursued other jobs. Two jobs, one drug dealer boyfriend, two to three years of addiction, an emergency surgery, and one shaved head later... Cassie found herself coming BACK to her brand. It was calling her. Pulling her in. She decided to REALLY go after it... and she's never turned back. In this episode, Cassie talks about: My Friend Cassie Where you can find and follow Cassie online: https://linktr.ee/myfriendcassie@myfriendcassiehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cassieheller/ Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 053 of the CVD Podcast!! I know you might be thinking, "how does someone get involved in human trafficking THREE times!? Let alone once! She must have been putting herself in those situations." Now... our brains do this. We jump to conclusions with partial information. And this is wonderful in many circumstances. Other times, we need to push that judgement or conclusion to the side so we can be open to the full story... this is one of those times. Amanda Blackwood is an absolutely amazing person who has a story unlike any I have ever heard before. Yes, she's survived human trafficking three different times, and you'll learn that every single time was completely different. The most incredible thing about Amanda and her story, is that she's taken everything she's experienced to help others. She has a podcast called Survivors - Stories of Hope Live On, she is a speaker, and she has created multiple trauma workbooks to empower others on their healing journey. In this open, honest, transparent conversation, Amanda doesn't hold anything back when detailing her experiences. They are very graphic, so please pause the episode if you need to. In this episode, Amanda talks about: Where you can find Amanda and her work online: Survivors - Stories of Hope Live OnGrowth from Darkness Deatiled PiecesGrowth from Darkness Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | TikTok Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 052 of the CVD Podcast!! Many of us think about making drastic changes in our lives or "reinventing ourselves" in our twenties or thirties... but what about at 52!? We may think we'll have everything "figured out" by then, but the truth is that life can change at any moment. Lana McAra is the perfect example of that. Lana is an award-winning, international best-selling author and ghostwriter of more than 40 titles with 1 million books sold (many under the name Rosey Dow). However, much of this has happened within the last 13 years, after she reinvented herself due to years of trauma. After being raised by narcissists, Lana was attracted to and eventually married one (because that's all she knew). She had no idea that while raising seven children she would feel so alone. And when he children were grown and she decided to leave because enough was enough, her husband made her out to be the bad guy, influencing her children to cut all ties with her. How did she have the strength, resilience, and will power to continue her writing career, reinvent herself, and push forward with life? You'll have to listen to find out! In this episode, Lana talks about: narcissistic Where you can find Lana and her work online: WebsiteLinkedInYouTubeBooks on AmazonFacebookTwitterInstagram Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 051 of the CVD Podcast!! When I met Aariz in 2014, he was strikingly handsome, extremely confident, and pursuing his passion in media. He was also part of a student organization called Enactus Windsor (this is how we met each other), working to make a positive difference in our community. I never would have guessed that he would describe himself as a child as lonely and shy, and I had no clue that he was once very overweight with little drive to pursue his dreams. Then, in 2018, I saw that he was working as a model and won "Mr. India Australia 2018". I was amazed and inspired by his hard work and dedication! Around the same time, I was just starting Comfort Via Discomfort and I asked Aariz to tell his incredible story - check out Episode 4 of Featured Fridays! (only a 1-minute video) And here we are, five years later, and I had the pleasure of diving deeper into his journey and how he even ended up in Australia in the first place. In this episode, Aariz talks about: Where you can find Aariz online: InstagramTikTokLinkedIn Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 050 of the CVD Podcast!! (Yes, you read that right! Episode FIFTY already!) Tia Wolfe is a podcaster who specializes in emotional and trauma healing. She is also an energy healer and life coach. Her life experiences also enables her to be a health/fitness coach as well as a relationship counselor. Tia and I could talk for hours about healing, personal development, and hosting mental health podcasts (and we have lol). It's always fascinating to hear all the details that go into creating another human being. Tia is very loving, very down to earth, and always looking to help others - because she knows what it's like to feel alone, broken, and helpless. In this episode, Tia talks about: Life with Tia Wolfe Where you can find Tia and her podcast online: https://www.lifewithtiawolfe.com/WebsiteSpotifyAppleInstagramTikTokYouTube Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

"Be a friend, say something nice to a friend, because it could change their life." This is the tagline of The Pat McAfee Show and I feel compelled to echo this message this week. One person I know tried to take their life last week. Another one was seconds away from taking their life one year ago and just shared this on Instagram. I remember what that feeling was like... feeling lost, hopeless, like nothing would change, and that the only option was to take my own life. It's a very scary place to be in and its very vulnerable to tell somebody else that you're feeling this way. I didn't tell my family members until 2019 that I tried to take my life in 2013. I know, it seems wild. And this is exactly what drives me to continue doing this podcast. You are NOT ALONE! There are people that love you and care about you and will listen to what you're experiencing. It only takes 5 seconds of courage to open up to somebody and get the ball rolling. I know it might feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, but focusing on only 5 seconds can help get the conversation going. Be a friend, say something nice to a friend. Check in with somebody today. Maybe it's somebody you hangout with all the time. Maybe it's a friend you have spoken to in 6 months or longer. Here are a few ways to spark the conversation if you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed: We tend to make excuses to NOT reach out, especially if it's been a while. Embrace the initial discomfort and send that text, voice message, video, or heaven forbid a voice mail to let the other person know you CARE about them. 5 seconds of courage. You can do it :) ---- If you'd like to reach out to chat about anything you're going through or have questions about resources (books, videos, etc.), contact me however you would like :) https://www.instagram.com/comfortviadiscomfort/

Welcome to EP 048 of the CVD Podcast!! Andrea Ames spent 35 years in the corporate world before jumping to entrepreneurship. She was kind of forced out a job when she didn't want to be and had so many questions about whether starting her own business was the right thing to do. Well... it turns out that jump was a huge blessing. Shortly after this transition, Andrea's mother fell ill and Andrea was able to care for her regularly because of the freedom of time that came with owning her own business. The years following this change brought on many challenges that Andrea was not anticipating.... Her mother passed. Her father passed. Her uncle passed. Two of her dogs passed. These were unprecedented times and there was so much for Andrea to work through. There were times that Andrea was grieving. And times where she was avoiding all her feelings. Eventually, she turned to personal development and everything changed. Through a few specific experiences that she describes in the episode, Andrea learned that vulnerability was the key to connecting with others and healing herself. It's an incredible journey that cannot be overlooked. In this episode, Andrea talks about: Where you can find Andrea and her company online: Andrea: WebsiteLinkedInInstagram Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 047 of the CVD Podcast!! Frankey Renaud is a retired CFL player turned transformational leadership coach. Pretty awesome, right!? Well, there's A LOT more to Frankey's story than just that. Frankey spent the first 25 years of his life trying to become the man he thought he had to be: tough, muscular, big beard, football player, hiding behind his armor, never choosing to be vulnerable or emotional (I'm sure many men out there can relate to this). After retiring from the CFL due to two knee injuries and a limited mindset, Frankey experienced a period of depression and considered taking his own life. He thought he had it all ( many others looking from the outside would think this, too)... and now, he wasn't sure who he was. Football was his identity and now, without it, he didn't know who he was. On the inside, there was so much turmoil and uncertainty. Step by step, Frankey started to let go of who he was to try to discover who he wanted to become. And now... Frankey is a transformational leadership coach and speaker on a mission to help others live their best life by focusing on their mindset, self empowerment, and mental health. He's even started the Gamechangers Leadership Academy to help adolescents do the same and learn from his mistakes. Frankey has become the man he wished would have been present while he was growing up. He never wants anybody to experience what he did, and it's truly inspiring! In this episode, Frankey talks about: Where you can find Frankey and his company online: Frankey: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInGamechangers Leadership Academy:WebsiteArticle:bipolar diagnosis as a giftPlease consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 046 of the CVD Podcast!! Clara Angelina Diaz-Anderson is an incredible woman with an amazing mission! Originally from the Dominican Republic, Clara moved to the US with her parents when she was young. She faced culture shock and depression, especially during the winters. She started to take personal development more seriously and was determined to make her winters better by associating them with fun times. Eventually this led her to ask herself, "if I can CHOOSE to create my best winters, why not my best year?" After a number of years working in the corporate world, Clara's passion for personal development led her to create ClaraFying Coaching and Consulting Institute where she helps leaders and coaches make significant impact personally, professionally, and systematically. Clara also developed the Create Your Best Year Leader's Network and is an executive coach, an author, a podcast host, a speaker, a member of the Forbes Magazine Coaches Council and a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School (more info below). She is on a mission to co-create a world that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and liberation. In this episode, Clara talks about: Where you can find Clara, her business, her book, and her podcast online: Clara:LinkedInClaraFying Coaching and Consulting Institute:WebsiteCreate Your Best Year One Day at a Time (book):AmazonThe Create Your Best Year Podcast: SpotifyApplePlease consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 045 of the CVD Podcast!! At 27, Janie was told she had a rare disease that would take her vision someday... At 30, her eyes rejected the glass contacts she had been wearing for 3 years and was told she was legally blind... With so many questions and so much uncertainty, Janie was devastated... and then she was absolutely determined to figure this out. She attended school for the blind to learn how to live her day-to-day life. And eventually, her son was born and everything changed. Janie wanted to prepare her son for a future in which he may lose his eye sight as well because nobody was certain whether this disease would be passed on or not. She started teaching him how to read braille and it inspired her to help others around the world that are facing the same problem. Janie is now the CEO of Teaching Your Baby in Braille and author of numerous children's books that help blind parents teach and bond with their sighted children. In this episode, Janie talks about: Where you can find Janie and Teaching Your Baby in Braille online: Janie:LinkedInTeaching Your Baby in Braille:FacebookInstagramArticle:Student Overcomes Disability on Way to SuccessPlease consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 044 of the CVD Podcast!! When Sean recently told me that he was legitimately living his best life, I was super excited to get him on the podcast to dive into how he's really gotten to this point in his life. I already knew that he had been through a lot, and I was looking forward to learning even more about him and sharing his story with all of you. I strongly believe that sharing stories like this can help us all when it comes to going after our dreams despite the challenges that we will inevitably face. Sean is the Owner and President of a financial firm in Windsor, Ontario called Spectre Financial. He is extremely passionate about helping other people and families get their finances straight so they can do the things they really want to do in life. He also recently got married to the woman of his dreams and I couldn't be happier for him. It hasn't been an easy or straightforward path for Sean to get to where he is, and I am so grateful he's willing to share his story so openly and honestly with me and with all of you. In this episode, Sean talks about: Where you can find Sean and Spectre Financial online: LinkedInhttps://www.spectrefinancial.ca/Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 043 of the CVD Podcast!! Nazli (Naz) Ersen is all about finding purpose and fulfillment, and helping others to do the same! She has been very passionate about working with young people and guiding them to stay curious, ask questions, and find who they are really are. Recently, Naz experienced a sudden end to her corporate career - which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She's discovered a new passion for astrology and it's reignited the fire within her to be the best she can be. Naz is now a Self-Growth Advisor, Keynote Speaker, and Astrological Coach helping students, professionals, and organizations to discover what engages them and brings them ALIVE. In this episode, Naz talks about: Where you can find Naz and her company online: LinkedInInstagramNazli Ersen CompanyA global Life Design company, working with organizations, individuals and educational institutionsPlease consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Welcome to EP 042 of the CVD Podcast!! Jacqueline Bezaire has such an incredible and inspiring story! She was born without fingers on her right hand and refers to that hand as her "little hand." Growing up, she was ashamed of her hand and didn't want to be different, so she never spoke about it and she hid it whenever she could. Later in life, Jacqueline's perspective was forever changed after she met a little girl with a similar limb difference. She started to realize that her little hand was only PART of who she was and she decided to embrace this difference rather than avoid it. Since that mindset shift, Jacqueline has become a huge advocate for those with diverse abilities and limb differences. She shares her story both at work and publicly to help others like her and she is also a model for Kello Inclusive - the disability-focused media company that the industry has been waiting for. In this episode, Jacqueline talks about: Where you can find Jacqueline online and the resources she mentioned in the episode: LinkedInModeling Page on Kello InclusiveThe Lucky Fin Projectraising awareness and celebrating those with limb differencesmimiTENSmaking mittens for our friends in the limb difference communityKello Inclusivethe disability-focused media company that the industry has been waiting forPlease consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

Showing somebody appreciation and love (even in the smallest way) can go a long way! I've learned the power of this over the last 6 months and I'm committed to taking ACTION to show people in my life that I care, appreciate, and love them. And I'm challenging you to do the same! 😁 While listening to my open letter to Ryan, think of someone who's made a positive impact in your life, and then tell them what they mean to you immediately after the episode is done. Keep it simple ❤️

The Comfort Via Discomfort podcast is 1-year old! To celebrate this milestone and to honor all the guests and supporters of this show, we’re counting down the top 10 episodes from our first year. Here is #1 with Curtis Doyle! —— WOW! This one is intense... and dark, and eye opening, and hopeful, and inspiring, and emotional, and SO MANY other things. In this episode, my friend Curtis Doyle takes us through his experience with drug addiction and recovery. From the first time he tried a Percocet in 2014 to overdosing on Fentanyl and dying for 3 minutes in 2020, and EVERYTHING in between. Curtis really takes you into the world of what a human being dealing with this disease really faces. From the choices he made to the consequences of those choices, Curtis leans into vulnerability and shares ALL the details. Today, he's been clean for almost THREE YEARS 🙌🏼 and has completely turned his life around. He went back to school for social work to help people with mental health and drug addiction issues and only has an internship left to complete!! He's taking what he experienced and is using it to help other people, and it's truly inspiring! … unfortunately, that's not the story for everybody. Millions of people die every single year from drug and alcohol abuse and, as a society, we don't even talk about it. And we need to it. These are human beings. And this is a real problem. The only way to normalize conversations like this is to have them over and over again and to have incredibly courageous people, like Curtis, share their story for others to hear. My hope is that you listen carefully to this episode and embrace the discomfort of entering a world that you may know nothing about so you can learn something new that potentially changes your perspective ❤️ Where you can find Curtis online: InstagramFacebookMentioned in the episode: Curtis’s original post Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

The Comfort Via Discomfort podcast is 1-year old! To celebrate this milestone and to honor all the guests and supporters of this show, we’re counting down the top 10 episodes from our first year. Here is #2 with Hannah Slater! —— This young woman is super inspiring and it will NOT take you long to see what I'm talking about! Hannah is 19 years old, struggles with ADHD and anxiety, and was bullied as a kid — but none of these have stopped her from pursuing her dream of fighting in the UFC. After getting bullied when she was 8 year old, she started self defense classes and hasn't looked back. She's learned many different styles of MMA, so she can be as versatile as possible. Hannah really is up for anything when it comes to training because she knows that being pushed outside her comfort zone is going to help her develop new skills and gain an edge over her opponents. The reason she's even started boxing is because Dana White, the Director of the UFC, is a huge fan of athletes that have proven themselves. So, Hannah is training to compete in boxing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris as a way to pursue her dream of fighting in the UFC. The level of discipline, consistency, and flexibility to jump from one thing to another to pursue her dream is what sets her apart from so many others. She's an entrepreneur, she's a mixed martial artist, she's now a boxer, she's humble and grateful, and she's not going to let anything get in her way. She is Hannah Slater! Where you can find Hannah online: InstagramFacebook Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

The Comfort Via Discomfort podcast is 1-year old! To celebrate this milestone and to honor all the guests and supporters of this show, we’re counting down the top 10 episodes from our first year. Here is #3 with Abdul Bishar! —— I met Abdul in Boston in 2018 while we were completing our master’s program at Hult International Business School. It didn’t take long before Abdul’s name was being shared on campus because he was taking and posting some incredible photos! It also quickly became clear that Abdul was very self aware and looking to achieve some big goals. After graduating, he spent over two years working for VaynerMedia (yes, the company run by Gary Vee) as a Media Analyst and Paid Media Manager and now works for Amazon Business as a Marketing Manager for Paid Media. In this episode, we talk about: Where you can find Abdul online: InstagramLinkedInNote: scroll all the way down his Instagram page to see Day 1 of his 365-day content challenge so you can see where he started and how far he’s come!Mentioned in the episode: Episode 1 of Wine Library TV Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

The Comfort Via Discomfort podcast is 1-year old! To celebrate this milestone and to honor all the guests and supporters of this show, we’re counting down the top 10 episodes from our first year. Here is #4 with Karly Modolo! —— Karly is a wonderful person and a tremendous athlete. Unfortunately, part of her story happens way more often in our society than we care to admit and we rarely talk about it. Karly has been the victim of sexual assault and that's what we talk about during this episode. Our goal is to normalize conversations like this so we can help others who have experienced this and educate those who haven't. We believe that the more we talk about it, the less power it has and (hopefully) the less it will occur. *Warning: graphic details are shared in this episode that may be triggering. If you need to listen to this episode while in a safe space (i.e. while not driving) because you anticipate something may trigger you, please do so. Also know that you can always press the pause button and return to the episode if/when you're ready ❤️ we've also included resources below that may help anybody that has experienced sexual assault. Karly was sexually assaulted by a massage therapist in 2017 and she's been battling for justice ever since. This SIX YEAR process has had many ups and many downs and in this episode, Karly shares it all. She shares (in great detail) what happened the night she was assaulted and the red flags others shouldn't ignore. She walks us through the aftermath in which the police dismissed her case, some said she was "just seeking attention", and she struggled while flowing in and out of the healing stage as this investigation has been dragged on. Karly is a warrior that is fighting for justice so that no one else can be hurt by the man that abused her. Her courage, vulnerability, and determination will inspire you. Where you can find Karly online and resources that may be helpful: InstagramFacebookIronmanCity CycleryWindsor Essex Bike CommunityLy SportsOvercoming Sexual AssaultA Spot on Team Canada 2018Books / Resources that may be helpful: CANUSACANUSACANUSA Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️

The Comfort Via Discomfort podcast is 1-year old! To celebrate this milestone and to honor all the guests and supporters of this show, we’re counting down the top 10 episodes from our first year. Here is #5 with Carolina Wagner! —— Growing up, Carolina Wagner was a friend of my older sister, Amanda, so I knew her through association but didn’t really know much about her. As I got older, I saw Carolina living life as digital nomad — she was traveling the world while working from her laptop. I had no idea this was a thing! And I really admired her for pursuing a non-traditional career. In this episode, we talk about: Where you can find Carolina and her companies online: InstagramLinkedInScribble MapsIllusive Lash Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed this episode! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We'd love to hear what you think and really appreciate your support ❤️