64: The Andy Kelso Episode
Andy Kelso came on the show to give us a taste of the life of a broadway actor. He’s performed in Kinky Boots (that’s Tony Award Winner Kinky Boots to you…), Rent, Fiddler on the Roof, Mamma Mia and Wicked and he starred in the Amazon show “Good Girls Revolt”. We talk about when he realized he wanted to be a performer, handling rejection in a job that is constantly doling it out, the challenges of raising a family while being an actor and the bond that is formed in a cast through a show and how difficult it is to part ways after the show has closed. Andy also gives advice for budding actors, talks about his favorite roles and discusses he greatest challenges in life.
I loved talking to Andy despite his love of the Denver Broncos (if you don’t know I’m a Patriots fan), but I have to say even I was impressed with this performance in front of 75,000 people:
But that performance pales in comparison to this one…his most important performance ever:
To learn more about Andy visit his website at www.andykelso.com, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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63: The Kathryn Brown Ramsperger Episode
I enjoyed the heck out of my conversation with Kathy Rampsperger. Listening and talking to genuine people always brings a smile to my face.
Kathy has done a little bit of everything in her life; journalist, humanitarian, speaker, Reiki instructor, certified coach, parent, author…you name it and Kathy has most likely done it.
That’s why it was interesting to hear her perspective on parenting, happiness, working through troubled times and keeping a positive mindset as we overcome our hurdles.
Kathy created Ground One Coaching after the events of 9/11 in her quest to “refreshen the world”. One of my favorite things I’ve heard Kathy say is the idea of giving our children “the gift of imperfection.” Allowing them to make mistakes, to learn from the mistakes and be unconditionally loved.
My second favorite “Kathy-ism” is how she wants parents to focus more on memories that GPA.
Oh how those words echo in my head.
A big thanks to Kathy for coming on the podcast and gracing me with her wisdom and thoughts on life. To learn more about Kathy please visit Ground One Coaching, learn more about her upcoming novel, “The Shores of Our Souls” or follow her on Twitter.
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62: The Paul Lemley Episode 005
Paul Lemley is back!
Since we last talked to Paul on January 13, 2017 he’s taken a business idea from concept to raising venture capital to establishing a development team to prototyping the app to preparing for a beta launch next week. In just three months!
Seriously.
That all seems impossible. But that’s exactly what he did and now we get to hear from him about all the trials and tribulations of navigating the wonderful world of startups and beta apps.
I mention this in the podcast but it’s worth noting here as well, in talking to Paul so many times on the podcast it’s been a wonderful ride listening to him grow in confidence regarding this business idea. (That’s been the plan by the way…see…we aren’t THAT random at Mindsoak.)
We got to hear him initially talk about his “crazy” app idea and then he came on and we talked about how he is thinking about going to potential investors and then we heard from him in another episode about how he thought he most likely had an interested investor to this episode of the podcast where not only does he have investors he’s ready to launch his product.
You can hear his confidence in this idea grow through each episode and I couldn’t be happier for the guy.
His app, Hivecast, is putting broadcasting events into the hands of anyone who owns a phone. It’s such a simple, yet elegant premise. Say you’re at an event, it could be a concert, a political rally, a lecture at a college or your niece’s birthday party. One person, the producer can invite several other “camera operators” to the app and stream the event live. The producer can then choose which camera is being seen at any given time, much like a football game does on one of the major networks.
It’s brilliant!
If you’re interested in startups, technology, investors, creating a positive culture or a MVP (minimal viable product) this is the episode for you.
Or if you just love Paul. Then you should also listen to this episode.
If you’re interested in being a beta tester (or just want to be informed of updates for Hivecast) simply go to hivecast.co and sign up on their homepage. You can also check them out on all the social media sites; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Thanks Paul! Good luck to you and your team next week!
Here’s a quick demo of some of the capabilities of Hivecast:
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61: The Mike Filitti Episode
My dad is my hero. Always has been. Always will be.
Mike Filitti is the most sincere, upfront, and genuine man you could meet. I’ve always envied his ability to say exactly what’s on his mind, whether it’s an emotional eulogy or a rant about something that frustrates him.
We joke in the family that he needs to use the “filter” more when he’s frustrated, but when I really sit back and think about it, not having a filter is actually one of his best qualities. My dad wears his heart on his sleeve and you always know where you stand with him.
My mom and dad gave me the best childhood a guy could ask for. And I say that with no hyperbole. I always felt respected but also felt disciplined and they always had just the right amount of expectations for me.
As I’ve gotten older they went from being two parents who I deeply admired and respected to two friends who I admire and respect even more. Everything about their parenting, their relationship to how they handle life is a guidepost for me and my family to follow.
Since the beginning of Mindsoak my dad has been patiently waiting to come on the podcast to talk about life. I wanted him on from day one too but we waited a bit so my listeners would know me better as a host. I think it will be more rewarding now, after getting to know me, to listen to my conversation with my own dad.
We talk about his recent retirement, his transition from being a father to being a grandfather, the legacy we leave behind as parents and grandparents and his greatest achievement in life…which was having me. (Kidding Lisa!)
We go through some of the Mike Filitti Legendary Sayings, like “Common sense isn’t all that common” or “As worthless as a screen door on a submarine” and “What’s time to a hog”. (He should write a book about all of them.)
I had each of my kids each ask him one question from a grandchild perspective. My daughter asked, “If you could go back in time would you do anything differently?” and my son asked “What is something from your childhood that today’s kids would appreciate having?” (Pretty deep questions right? Maybe they have a future in hosting Mindsoak someday.)
We also talk about how important extracurricular activities were to our lives when my sister and I were growing up. We have many fond memories and still cherish our wonderful friendships we created during those years.
And then, even though my dad claims he is not a “deep thinker”, we get pretty philosophical about life, cherishing family members who came before us and we discuss what he would say to my grandparents if he could have one more conversation with them.
Thanks for the deep conversation dad! Love you!
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60: The Melanie Salvatore-August Episode
“Fierce Kindness”. You kinda have to love how that sounds.
The fantabulous Dana Faletti told me I need to meet Melanie Salvatore August. That Melanie and I would connect instantly. That the work Melanie does is right up Mindsoak alley.
Since I always listen to Dana (seriously, ask her) I reached out to Melanie and, true to Dana’s word, we connected instantly. So effortlessly in fact, that if we go back in our Italian heritage I guarantee we find we are related. And if we aren’t, well, I think we may adopt each other as siblings.
First my love note to Melanie: Thank you, thank you, thank you. For the work you are putting out on into the world. For the delightful conversation we had and for being so open and honest during the podcast. Your take on life and life’s purpose is refreshing and reinforcing. I’m positively stoked to know you.
Melanie is the author of the recently released book, “Fierce Kindness: Be a Positive Force For Change” and the creator of Operation Fierce Kindness. She also wrote “Kitchen Yoga: Simple Home Practices to Transform Mind, Body, and Life” and does about a million other things aimed at helping people become more mindful and more kind.
We discuss her insights which lead to writing “Fierce Kindness” (and wow is it a beautifully written and designed book), her history of self exploration and her desire to live intentionally. We discuss insecurities and how we try to beat them back with a stick and we genuinely have a glorious and fun filled conversation about life and the version of ourselves we are aspiring to become.
The first thing about “Fierce Kindness” that caught my eye when I opened the book was the statement “Don’t believe everything you think.” I absolutely love that statement and Melanie effortlessly breaks down it’s meaning. And she does it in a way that will help you challenge some of your false beliefs you carry around for no apparent reason other than you’ve always carried them around.
As if we weren’t deep enough in conversation from the onset of the podcast, Melanie then allows me to ask her the deep questions she asks readers in “Fierce Kindness”. Notice when you listen how after I ask a question, Melanie always takes a deep, insightful pause as she gathers her thoughts. I absolutely love this about her. It’s so indicative of how she is present in the moment.
Again, thank you Melanie, I appreciated our conversation immensely and am looking forward to the many more to come.
Show Notes:
Learn more about Melanie:
http://www.melaniesalvatoreaugust.com
http://www.fiercekindness.org
Instagram
Facebook
Yellow Pear Press (I’m really excited to have learned of they publishing company…they are putting out some fantastic books!
Books discussed:
The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life
The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients
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59: The Sarah Aili Episode
Sarah Aili was born and raised in California and now hails from Nashville, Tennessee. She’s a singer/songwriter who writes and performs songs in a variety of genres from pop, country, bluegrass and folk.
She does the music thing. She goes on tour. She releases albums. She makes music videos.
And she’s pretty damn brilliant at it if you ask me.
During the podcast we begin our conversation by walking through her life, from being conceived while her parents were running a music festival to finding her voice at a young age to packing up her belongings and moving to Nashville to continue her musical adventure.
Sarah and I walk through how her creativity blossomed, how she overcomes performance fear, how she overcame criticism and we breakdown how she creates and writes.
We also talk about creativity and how important it is in all of our lives.
We talk improv and “going with the flow” dancing.
We talk insecurities and how we can free ourselves.
We talk intentional living (which by now you know I am a huge proponent of so it was great to hear someone else talking about it).
We talk being the creator of our own life.
And while Sarah is a wonderful musician where she really shines is being human.
Sarah and I recorded the podcast several days ago, but as I write this I’m still being positively effected by the depth she was willing to take the conversation. I don’t even know if my words can do it justice. Sarah brought a level of understanding and vulnerability to the conversation that blew my mind.
I hope you are inspired by Sarah as much as I was. Just listening to her walk through her aspirations, her beliefs and her hurdles in life is a lesson to all of us to focus on the positive, chip away at our false beliefs and grab life by the horns.
To Sarah: Thank you. That was an incredible marathon podcast. It reshaped what Mindsoak can be. It was beautiful.
Oh, and thanks for hooking me up with your dad…that dude is awesome.
To everyone else, enjoy the podcast. It’s a long one so feel free to pause us, go about your life and then come back when you have more time.
Now go find out more about Sarah by visiting www.sarahaili.com and make sure to follow her on all her social media sites. Make sure grab her album on iTunes and you can also check out more of her songs at SoundCloud.
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