This month I am thrilled to interview a colleague of mine who inspires me to no end. While I only met Sheila Sylvestre earlier this year, she has touched me personally on numerous occasions and supported me in my own business with her gift of teaching small business owners how to nourish relationships with their business colleagues and customers.  Let me tell you a little bit about Sheila in her own words…

During a successful 26-year career at a large telecommunications organization Sheila had various management roles in client care, communications and human resources.  Sheila was meeting her financial goals but never felt fulfilled and was not living life on purpose.

An internal wake-up call started around 1999 to do something different.  It started as a whisper or a nudge and then the urgency increased with the same thought, “there has to be more to life than what I’m doing now.”

A perfect storm occurred in 2007 when personal loss and career overload led Sheila to take a “you-turn’ away from the known.

After being shown how short and fragile life is she asked herself “What are you waiting for?”

Shifting from employee, to being unemployed, and ultimately choosing self-employment has been a journey of self-inquiry and personal growth beyond her imagination.

Sheila had been studying Life Purpose for almost 10 years and knew she wanted to go after a childhood dream of owning her own greeting card company.

Whisper Greetings was founded in February 2010.  A custom design greeting card company dedicated to creating genuine, poetic expressions of connection, healing and hope.  www.whispergreetings.com

So be sure to settle in to listen to our conversation.  It’ll only take you 36 minutes (a perfect length for a nice walk I might add) and it’s guaranteed to touch your heart, inspire you, and open the door to possibilities.

To learn more and connect with Sheila, you can join the Whisper Greetings community at www.whispergreetingsgift.com where you’ll receive a free gift and subscription to the Your Essence Ezine. Sheila can be reached at sheila@whispergreetings.com for a complimentary call to discuss how creating a custom greeting card for your business can increase client loyalty or to explore ways to re-connect to your own life purpose.

I’m thrilled to have my podcast series reignite itself this month after a brief hiatus due to personal circumstances that had me out of the office…  What better way to do this than to interview a colleague of mine who inspires me greatly – Wendy Yellen, President and creator of EideticLifeCoach.com.

Let me tell you just a bit about Wendy’s background. She has, for over 30 years, been helping people all over the world to transform and accelerate their success –– withOUT the struggle! Wendy has advanced and post graduate certifications, including her Master of Social Work in traditional psychotherapy, a fellowship in family therapy, and in less traditional methods like emotional release body work, subtle energy healing and many others. She works with global leaders who want to make an even bigger difference – who she calls Tsunami Makers™, and also with those who want to IGNITE their Tsunami Maker™ cells even more! Almost by definition, Tsunami Makers™ feel an immense amount of stress and pressure in their lives and often say to themselves ‘there just must be an easier way’.

Wendy helps them to eliminate that head-shattering stress and to receive even more – immediately AND DEEPLY! Then, they can lead with their whole heart and their whole soul.

The tool Wendy uses is called Eidetic Imagery, which Joseph Campbell, who coined the term “Follow Your Bliss”, said everyone should know about. And Wendy Yellen is recognized as one of the top 10 “go-to” eidetic practitioners – in the world!

You will love our conversation because it is genuine, real, and has some super gems where Wendy makes some pivotal distinctions that will make you go Aha! and that you will feel deeply. I know I certainly did!

You can take Wendy up on the generous offer she makes during our interview to participate in the Live Eidetic Success Blueprint Tele-classes by signing up here.

Listen in or download below (running time 36 minutes).

Ever wonder what a career reinvention looks like?  Think coincidences are just stuff that happens?  Well… join me as I interview my colleague Stefanie Frank who, in 2005, left her job practicing law (after more than 11 years of full time litigation practice in the construction field) to start her own business. Her first business floundered because she was not passionate about it.

But something seemingly unrelated to business happened around this time that would change things forever: Stefanie discovered the sport of triathlon.

Finishing two half ironman distance races in one year (a goal that initially seemed impossible) transformed the way Stefanie sees herself in the world and restored the self confidence that had eroded away over years of working way too much and lacking passion for what she was doing.

You can imagine…given my passion for sports and my own adventures of hiking, biking, kayaking, canyoneering, and who knows what comes next… that I just LOVE her story.  You are going to love it too whether you love or loathe sports because it is about learning more about WHO you are and how that acts as a catalyst for your whole life.

Her business, White Papers for Entrepreneurs, Stefanie serves both her clients and her own passion for writing by writing powerful and profitable White Papers (Free Reports) for her clients and by teaching clients to write and market for business in effective, engaging ways that get results.

You will LOVE her approach to writing… and if you escaped the Corporate Cubicle with the notion that a white paper is a four-letter word that means “fluff” or boilerplate, Stef’s model for writing will dispel that myth.

So listen in and be inspired…
Audio Length: 35 minutes

In this  episode of the confident and comfortable in your own skin podcast I interview Kisha Mays, Founder and CEO of Just Fearless, LLC.    Kisha is currently working with her team on the Women Empowering Women (WEW) International Tour which is changing women’s lives one city at a time.

Kisha’s primary focus is on marketing and advertising and empowering women to live their best life fearlessly and raising funds for non profits worldwide that support women and girls.  Since founding the firm, she has overseen the company’s rapid growth and expansion to the Latin American, European, Middle East, Far East, and Asian markets.  She has also provided advice and counsel to hundreds of companies, global interests, high-profile individuals, regional businesses, and government agencies on routine marketing and advertising to women and business development. Her aggressive, results focused orientation has allowed her to acquire close working relationships with members of the media, decision makers, politicians and celebrities.

You can learn more and connect with Kisha at www.twitter.com/KishaMays, www.blogtalkradio.com/kishamays, and www.justfearless.com.

Tune in to my recent conversation to learn more about Kisha and give yourself a little boost of empowerment as well.

Running Time: ~ 27 minutes

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and interviewing Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” for the February 2010 podcast.  I first met Melinda via Twitter where she is well known for her weekly talk show #Smallbizchat. I was intrigued by her energy and her expertise in teaching entrepreneurs everything they need to know about launching and running a profitable business.  Not to mention, nothing like Twitter to connect me with someone who is in my neck of the woods (Greater Philadelphia Area).  I so love the global/local connection of the web!  We recently sat down via phone to talk about her own story and her first book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! which literally just became available for purchase.

Let me share a little bit about Melinda with you…

Melinda Emerson “Smallbizlady” is a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach. Her areas of expertise include small business start-up, business development and social media strategy.  Melinda hosts #Smallbizchat, a weekly talk show on Twitter.  #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.  Melinda has been featured on NBC Nightly News and in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report and Black Enterprise.

You’ll want to check out her great business blog at www.succeedasyourownboss.com as well as her main website at www.melindaemerson.com

You can pre-order her book at www.becomeyourownbossbook.com

So, kick back (or kick it up for a good listen on your next workout) and tune into our conversation.

Audio Running Time ~ 40 minutes.

This month I am excited to bring you my interview with Aliza Sherman.  I first had the good fortune of meeting Aliza when we we both shared a seat on the PepsiCo Live with Purpose Panel at BlogHer ‘09.  What I instantly loved about Aliza was her ability to shake things up by speaking the truth.  That was evident by one of her responses on the panel. (You’ll learn more details in our podcast interview…and you can listen to the recording of the PepsiCo panel online).   I was thrilled to have the chance to get to know her a bit better post-panel at lunch and it was there that I learned the magnitude of her expertise – as a web pioneer, writer, consultant, and producer.

Here’s a brief bio to give you a taste of this:

Aliza Sherman is a Web pioneer, social media strategist, published author, blogger, podcaster, and regular contributor to national magazines and web sites. Fast Company recently named her one of the Most Influential Women in Technology. She founded the first woman-owned Internet company Cybergrrl, Inc. and the first women’s Internet organization Webgrrls International. Named by Newsweek as one of the “Top 50 People Who Matter Most on the Internet,” Aliza continues to be recognized as a leader in the ever-evolving landscape of Internet media, marketing and communications. Her books include The Everything Blogging Book, Streetwise Ecommerce, and PowerTools for Women in Business.

As an expert on the issues of women in business (after all she does write for WomenEntrepreneur.com and Entrepreneur, our conversation revolves around some of the key challenges women face as entrepreneurs and in the wild world of business.  Some of her answers might surprise you and I surely hope they empower you. They certainly gave me a boost!

You can learn more about Aliza’s work at: MediaEgg.com and Conversify.net as well as get a number of great links to her writing.

So, without further ado — curl up or download and get moving and take a listen (running time: 38 minutes) …

If you are an entrepreneur or are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur you will not want to miss my interview with Heather Dominick.  I am so excited to have this opportunity to interview her and share her story and expertise with you.  I have been working with her for several years in various ways and I can confidently say she is a cutting edge thinker ahead of her time and delivers exponential value to entrepreneurs who work with her.

Heather Dominick is the creator of the EnergyRICH® Success System for Entrepreneurs™: the essence of her years of education, energy, and intuitive training, as well as marketing and sales tools.  Her coaching philosophy is that an individual cannot “do” business, but needs to BE business at a holistic level that integrates thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. She calls this managing your energy. It’s important that an entrepreneur do the inner and outer work necessary to activate this skill and belief in them. Only when you have activated this in you, can you fully and confidently present yourself and your business to others, the world. That is what is at the heart of assisting individuals in creating magnificent marketing for their businesses.

If you want to make a difference in the world in your business but find that the self-torture of self-employment is wearing you down, you won’t want to miss Heather’s advice at the end of this call. So…

Listen in and I know you’ll get great value from Heather’s willingness to share her personal story, her insight into the top money mistakes entrepreneurs make, and the proven advice she shares that can help you shift this right away.

You can get the free goodies Heather shares on the call and learn more about her EnergyRich® programs at: www.energyrichsuccesskit.com and www.energyrichfreegift.com

Now, listen in and I promise you’ll be moved and experience at least one Aha!
(audio length: 49 minutes)

Today’s podcast takes a turn to the things that stir your soul, what makes you tick, the interior life.  Join me as I interview Kim Rosen, author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words (published by Hay House 2009), workshop leader, poet, and guide to the inner life.  I first had the chance to discover Kim’s work when she collaborated with cellist Jami Sieber and I attended their workshop “Beyond Words”. I wrote about it at length in the blog post “A Weekend Beyond Words”.  Suffice it to say I had never really been a poetry person. Sure there were lyrics and quotes that moved me deeply but I never connected that with poetry. I could only think of dry, confusing, and stuffy verses from English class.  In fact I typically ran as fast as I could away from anything that dealt with words, meter, structure, or a dreaded haiku.  That workshop changed it all for me and opened my eyes to the practical power of a poem in everyday life.  For your spirit, for business guidance, and for living authentically and fully.  Chances are you already tap into the power of a poem but either don’t know it or won’t admit it.  Do you have inspirational quotes near your desk or at your bedside?  Aha!  Caught you — you have a connection to a poem

Kim’s work touches  listeners around the world with poetry’s power to awaken, inspire and heal. She is the co-creator of four CD’s of spoken poetry and music and has delivered poetry in a wide spectrum of venues from the crypt of Chartres Cathedral to the New Orleans Superdome.  Combining her devotion to poetry with her background as a spiritual teacher and therapist, she has given inspirational keynotes, workshops, trainings, retreats and private sessions in corporations, colleges, high schools, nonprofit organizations, retreat centers.

The release of Saved by a Poem had a literal touch of irony when Kim shared her story “How I Lost My Life’s Savings and a Poem Saved my Life” on The Huffington Post.  Her experience speaks deeply to the transformative power of coincidences and words.  It’s a story you really have to read to believe.

During our conversation, Kim shared a quotation by Hildegard de Bingene which really speaks not only to the work she does but the very essence of the life and business coaching I do:

“When the inner and the outer are wedded, Revelation happens.”

To me when what is inside of you gets to be expressed in who you are and what you do, that is the essence of living fully and being comfortable in your own skin because you are living on purpose.  See that practical tie-in again?

You can learn more about Kim online at her website www.KimRosen.net

Now, settle in or download because you don’t want to miss this intimate and inspiring interview with Kim Rosen.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Maria, a leading body-image expert who shows people how to discover the beauty within.  She is also the author of Love Your Body, Love Your Life which details her 5 step process for overcoming negative body obsession.  Sarah has trained with well-known teachers and physicians, including Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon, Wayne Dyer, and Jack Canfield, among others. Her work has been endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon, and NY Times best-selling author Marci Shimoff, as well as many other notable physicians, psychologists, and educators.

I jumped at the chance to meet and interview Sarah because I personally have struggled at different times in my life with body-image challenges.  An overweight and extremely tall kid I found myself at the receiving end of a lot of bullying and internal messages that didn’t serve me very well.  What I love about Sarah’s work is it goes deep.  Her work isn’t about some surface body appearance, diet, or exercise plan. It’s about the real work of embracing the beautiful body, the wonderful person that is you. Now that is lasting change.

You can learn more about Sarah at www.sarahmaria.com and www.breakfreebeauty.com .

Now, listen in/download to hear us talk about our own struggles with body-image, her new book, and our take on the cultural hallucinations motivated by fear that are at work in so many people’s lives.

This month I had the great joy of interviewing Lissa Rankin.  We first met online through some Tweets and blog reading and I have since become a big fan of the really great stuff she is up to.  What really speaks to me about Lissa and her work is her authenticity and willingness to not let one thing define her.  She defies boxes and is making a huge impact in women’s lives by being true to herself (what’s not to love about that?!).

Let me show you what I mean by sharing a bit of her bio: Lissa Rankin is an OB/GYN physician, author of the forthcoming What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend (St. Martin’s Press, 2010) and Encaustic: A Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax (Random House, 2010), a nationally-represented professional artist, a mother, and founder of Owning Pink, a website and series of workshops committed to building authentic community and empowering women to get their mojo back. She is also a dog walker, a spiritual seeker, a wife, a yogini, a chaffeur, a cook, and a music fanatic. First and foremost, she is a woman, and like many women, she once thought she had to put herself into a box and choose who to be. She now accepts that, while she is all these things, no single identity defines her. She is more than what she does. She strives to be authentic, in all aspects of her life, and she encourages others to do the same.

Whew! What I love about Lissa is her huge heart and desire to connect with others on a deep and very human level.  She’s after the essence.  That really comes through in my conversation with her as she talks about her own experiences, the perfect storm that led to her current path, stories about Owning Pink and her latest art project The Woman Inside which shines the light on the beautiful woman inside of each breast cancer survivor.

You can learn more about the many facets of Lissa and her upcoming projects at www.LissaRankin.com and www.OwningPink.com