Dawn Garcia wears many hats. She’s a journalist, author, screenwriter and editor. I first learned of Dawn through her magazine, ATOD Magazine (which stands for A Taste of Dawn) and knew right away she was someone I wanted to talk to. Dawn also has over 20 years experience in film and TV production, starting with her career as a makeup and special effects artist. She started her writing career after being given positive feedback from the one and only Francis Ford Coppola.

When I think of Dawn I see a “no-holds-barred, experience life to the fullest, find the sexy in everything and don’t ask for permission” maestro who revels in pushing the boundaries of her experiences.

Dawn and I discuss ways in which she’s creative, the courage it takes to be a public persona, her writing methods, how she almost worked as a make up artist on the set of Star Wars and how she doesn’t fear experiencing all the wonders our world has to offer.

I love how Dawn experiences lifestyles, food and culture. She just dives into new experiences and pulls her readers in with her. Her passion is vivacious and it shows in her writing and in the podcast.

I admire all these things about Dawn.

But what I absolutely love about Dawn is her genuineness. She’s all about exploring herself and the human condition. I ask some deep questions about her regrets and feelings of vulnerability. We explore letting go of false beliefs and what she admires about herself.

Dawn’s answers, and her ability to be 100% transparent and humble, take us down some interesting discussion threads on feeling alive, being courageous and silencing self doubt.

I also talk Dawn into coming to Dubuque for a Tri-State foodie and travel assignment! And I nudge my way on to the TV show she is developing.

You can find out more about Dawn at ATOD Magazine, dawngarcia.com and learn about her pop up dinner series, White Lies + Alibis.

You can also follow Dawn on all the social media outlets: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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I’ve known Brad Cavanagh for almost ten years. But it seems like we’ve been friends for a lifetime. Brad is a social worker by trade, a professor, he’s been a therapist and he’s a deep thinker. Time with Brad, usually on a deck, in front of a fire pit or wandering some farmland, usually lasts until 2 or 3 A.M. He’s just one of those people you don’t want to stop talking to.

He’s also the main reason I got off my ass and actually launched Mindsoak.

I love debating politics and world solutions with Brad. One, because we never get angry with one another even though we might be coming from opposite ends of the spectrum. And two, because he’s so thought out, well researched, reality based and confident in his perspective. Where I am shooting from the hip and flying by the seat of my pants.

Sidetone: Brad and I enjoy play online video games with each other and have been doing so for quite a while. In the games we play there are usually two major tactics. One is be methodical, take your time, wait for the right opportunity and stay hidden. The other is run in like a madman, try to react to whatever situation is thrown at you and create as much chaos as possible. In fact, there is a game in which one of the tools you can use is a “snakecam” which allows you to look under the door to see what awaits you on the other side. I’ve come to call Brad “Snakecam” for his calm, measured approach to breaching a room while I patiently wait beside him itching to bust into the room and cause as much mayhem as possible.

But guess what, when it comes to snakecam-ing life and solutions, Brad is brilliant at it.

That’s why he started The Realist Idealist. And that’s why we should all be reading his ideas for solutions to some of society’s greatest problems. The man thinks of all the ideas, weighs all the options and makes decisions based on facts.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as we discuss his ideas for The Realist Idealist and we meander through his history and what shaped his perspective on life.

Here are the links to some of the books and products we discuss on the podcast (clicking through to the links will take you to Amazon. If you decide to purchase the product through these links Mindsoak get’s a little kickback for sending you.):

• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
• The Round House: A Novel by Louse Erdrich
• America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System by Steven Brill
• Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko and Larry McMurtry
• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
• Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn

Make sure you also follow Brad at www.therealistidealist.com, on Twitter and on Facebook. Brad also recently wrote an essay for titled “In The Box” Mindsoak.

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Adam Ivy is a man of many talents. As I learned more about Adam I needed to have him on to talk about productivity and entrepreneurship. Reading about Adam’s story intrigued me to no end. He relentlessly pursues creating genuine content and brands.

And I needed to know how he was able to remain at such a high level of productivity with the variety of roles he plays throughout the day.

On one hand Adam’s a music producer creating and selling music beats online. He’s an award winning creative marketing specialist. He’s launched an athletic apparel line and created a unique and distinct brand. He’s a YouTube personality. And he’s from Wisconsin.

And he’s a good dude.

We start the episode by talking about his entrepreneurial start at the age of 23. How he turned $800 into a six figure income by producing beats for other musicians to purchase online.

Adam is a big supporter of taking “calculated risks”. We discuss how he took a leap of faith and moved from Wisconsin to Florida to fulfill his dream and take the next step. How he believed in himself and knew he needed to continuously challenge his comfort level in order to take his businesses and life to the next level.

Adam discusses what it takes to have the courage to create, both audio and video, and the productivity skills necessary to keep driving towards your goals.

It was great to hear the story of how Adam created his apparel line Jusbi. Creating a clothing line is no simple task and getting to pull the curtain back on his productivity and the challenges he faced to launch a business in which he didn’t have any prior experience.

We also got into some of his suggestions about fitness and nutrition and how he keeps his productivity up in the gym and in the kitchen. I always love hearing about someone’s workout routine so it was a good time discussing all of this with Adam. I will keep true to my word to have him back on again to discuss more about nutrition and fitness.

You can find Adam on all the social media sites: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and of course, AdamIvy.com.

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I’m always appreciative of the time I get to spend talking to Mr. Paul Lemley. He’s one of the kindest people you’ll meet and I like pulling the curtain back to get a peek at what is going on in that head of his.

Paul is back to update us on his projects, going out on his own in business and to follow all the tangents Paul and I usually take when we’re chatting.

Enjoy!

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Michael C. Bryan. And me. That is all.

We talk closing out 2016 with a bang and what’s in store for our 2017.

We talk feelings of guilt, the pursuit of happiness and the meaning of life.

And some Star Wars: Rogue One.

It’s an exquisite episode with an exquisite guest.

Thank you Michael!

As always, learn more about Michael at www.mcbhappier.com

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