Ever Better Podcast | Inspiring Stories | Motivating | Transition With Grace | Fulfillment | Wisdom

  Greg Tehven is a co-founder of Emerging Prairie, an organization in Fargo, North Dakota created to celebrate and connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It's had quite an impact. In August 2016, Fargo was named the 7th best U.S. city for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine, and Emerging Prairie was cited as a factor.    A fifth generation North Dakotan, Greg's great-great grandfather was an early settler from Sweden. Greg grew up with the security of a large, close-knit family and neighbors who cared for each other, but longed to experience life in a larger city. He attended college at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and then traveled the world, before coming home to rediscover the magic of Fargo.    Listen to the podcast to hear Greg discuss: False humility - the ‘disease’ of his community Emerging Prairie's evolution from blog producer to event creator The popular, graffiti-decorated co-working space shown below  4 Principles of Emerging Prairie Educate our city Infuse the arts Build o

Lori Hart has a highly sought after beauty business in Beverly Hills. She helps women and men transform from the inside out using natural makeup and non-invasive procedures. Through working with celebrities like Laura Dern, Timothy Dalton, Charlize Theron, and Donald Sutherland, she’s observed that those who radiate on the outside are the ones who have done work on the inside.   She works with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, yet her products and services are modestly priced because she believes that every person should be able to feel beautiful.     In this discussion, she shares beauty tips for people of all ages. And, she explains how her drive to bring out natural beauty stems from a time in her life when she was working for Playboy and succumbed to pressure to have liposuction. That decision created health issues that still linger over 30 years later.    Listen to the podcast to hear Lori discuss: How women transformed while visiting her mother's beauty parlor Donald Sutherland's reaction to L

This week's Ever Better episode is a journal narrated by me, Lisa Conner Vogt. it highlights a common theme that I’ve observed with my guests, and brings you some of the best moments of recent episodes. This episode celebrates my guests who draw on their highly unique experiences to craft businesses that help others, as only they can. And, when I talk about their experiences, I’m including how and where they grew up, their families, the schools they attended, the jobs they’ve held, where they’ve lived, and their spiritual traditions. They’re taking the accumulation of their life knowledge and using it to help others. As I was thinking about the five guests that you’re about to hear from, I also considered how I’m building on my life experiences. And here’s what I came up with… My professional career spans almost thirty years – Yikes! I’ve worked for corporations, non-profits, small companies, and had my own businesses. I’ve held positions in marketing, communications, strategy, system development, project man

Dave Conley is an integrated business coach who helps clients to ignite their ideas! This can involve starting a company, advancing an idea or pursuing a personal goal.  He’s been on an incredible entrepreneurial and personal journey and in this discussion shares ideas and lessons that he has put into practice and that you may want to try for yourself!    Dave lives a “flipped model,” first concentrating on living a mindful life, knowing that success in his business and personal life will follow.   After his wife passed way five years ago, Dave began to concentrate on getting healthy. He changed his diet and exercise habits and lost 150 pounds. He says that he’s half the man he used to be! Dave also became selective about how he spends his time and was determined to not be glued to the T.V.   Dave hopes that people won’t wait for a tragedy to occur before they begin to live with greater purpose.    Dave’s resume includes being one of AOL’s first project managers where he helped 32 million people get on the I

 My guest today is Erin Elizabeth Wells, an intentionality expert and productivity specialist. Though originally from Cincinnati, she fell in love with the New England coastline and settled in historical Salem, MA. Erin lives a short walk from the ocean there, along with her husband and cat. She is the author of Inspired Action: Create More Purpose, Productivity, and Peace in Your Life. Join me to learn more about Erin and her work! You won't want to miss a moment of this episode!   What you’ll hear in this episode: Erin’s unusual journey through Yale, Harvard Divinity School, to modern pagan   Erin’s early passion for interfaith work   How her work as a grad student for the “classically overcommitted absent-minded professor” set her course   How being a professional organizer became her “ministry”   How she blends productivity and intentionality for her entrepreneur clients   Pagan philosophy and the spiritual connection to nature   How Erin shifted her original focus when writing her book—that

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur with an extraordinary story. He’s the founder of Flikshop, what he calls the “coolest app in the app store.” Flikshop allows anyone, anywhere in the world, to take a picture and write a personal note that will be printed and delivered to any prison in the United States.   Marcus committed the crime of carjacking when he was 15 years old. He spent the next 8 years of his life in a maximum security prison with adults. Marcus says that getting a flik, or a picture, was like winning the lottery.   But Flikshop goes well beyond keeping spirits up. Marcus believes that prisoners who stay connected to friends and family assimilate more smoothly when they are released, making their chances of being arrested again less likely. And, with a prison population exceeding 2 million men and women, this app has the power to change the trajectory of millions of lives.    While he was incarcerated, Marcus educated himself and planned for a productive future, thanks to the persistence of his mot

Lise Metzger is an award-winning professional photographer known for her elegant photo shoots for advertising, magazines and corporate clients. In recent years, she’s expanded her portfolio into new dimensions through photographing and writing about women farmers.   On her blog, Grounded Women.com, Lise shares engaging profiles of women who have chosen farming as a way of life. Her compelling narrative and photos capture the daily joys and challenges of life on a farm.  This project is a labor of love for Lise, and just one facet of her commitment to the sustainable food movement.      Listen to the podcast to hear Lise discuss:  Educating people about the benefits of eating "real food."  Grounded Women, Lise's multimedia website about women farmers. Life as a professional photographer, teacher, and editor.  Transitioning from magazine editor to photographer through taking classes at the Corcoran. Hosting a CSA (community supported agriculture) and what Lise does with her vegetables (including bartering

A Better World, One Story at a Time   A meaningful story has the power to change one person’s life. And, if stories can change lives, they can also move a community, and maybe even elevate a nation. On the most recent Ever Better podcasts, Marc Winn, Marsha Shandur, and Beckie Thompson shared their personal stories, and described how and why they are helping others to do the same. In this journal episode you’ll hear highlights from these three podcasts and afterwards, if you haven’t had a chance to listen to the full episodes, you might want to check them out.     In Episode 23, Marc Winn explained how change is happening in his country throughThe Dandelion Project.  In

Marsha Shandur (aka Yes Yes Marsha) has the gift of making people laugh while sharing really insightful lessons. Throughout our discussion, she offers amazing ideas for communicating effectively, practices for staying positive, and lessons from the near-death experience of her great aunt...all through stories. Marsha is a professional storytelling coach and she attributes her storytelling talents to growing up in a large, close-knit Russian family that communicates through highly-detailed stories. She runs an event called True Stories Told Live Toronto, and works with corporations to help humanize leaders. And, she is the official storytelling coach for World Domination Summit (do-gooders descending on Portland). Learn more about Marsha by checking out the web page she set up for Ever Better listeners at YesYesMarsha.com/EverBetter. Listen to the podcast to hear Marsha discuss:   - Why you should email 25 people and ask them to name your top qualities - How she became known as Yes Yes Marsha - Marie Folio

Five years ago, Beckie Thompson and her husband visited Disney World with their five-year-old daughter Keira. Everywhere they went in the park, Keira was greeted and referred to as “Princess.” After hearing this one too many times, she exclaimed  “Mommy, I don’t want to be a princess. I want to be a pilot.”    Over the next few years, Beckie gave a lot of thought to the wide-ranging implications of what Keira was expressing and began developing the idea of creating a business and movement.   Listen to the podcast to hear Beckie's story followed by a special interview with Keira!     Encouraging girls and women to be anything they want is at the heart of Beckie’s work. She asks: "Why don't we describe a girl based on her abilities and interests rather than as a fictional princess character? We don't do that with boys!"    “I wondered why somebody didn’t do anything and then I realized I am somebody." This is Beckie's favorite quote and it sums up why she created "I Don't Want to be a Princess."    Listen to th

Marc Winn is a catalyst for change who lives on the island of Guernsey, a country unto itself in the English Channel. Marc's goal is to make Guernsey the best place to live on Earth by 2020. This might sound like an audacious goal, and many probably told him he was crazy when he first said these words out loud, but their newly elected president of ran on the platform of making Guernsey the best place to live on Earth by 2026! Thus demonstrating the impact of his work as a change agent.   Marc works outside of organized government but has an on-going dialogue with elected officials about improving government and society. And he hopes that his experiments will have an impact in other countries. Here are some of Marc's quotes from the podcast:    "The future of democracy doesn't look anything like it is right now." "We're not creating a following, we're creating a collective leadership." "There is a consciousness revolution happening in the world right now." "Alternative education needs to become mainstream

When I looked back at the podcasts I published over the past few weeks I realized that my guests were all focused on books – writing them, creating them, and sharing them with the public.   In Episode 20, my guest was Grace Freedson. She helps bring books to life about resilience, careers, business, and other non-fiction topics.  In Episode 21, I interviewed Kimberly Palmer, a journalist and author whose third book, Smart Mom, Rich Mom, has just been published. In Episode 22, my guest was Valerie Gross, President and CEO of the Howard County Library System. Valerie has created a model for libraries where they are recognized as a key part of our public educational system.    It’s not a big surprise that I found these three women because I love to read. I always have. While growing up I used to read at night after I was supposed to be in bed. I had a night light next to my bed that I would use to read surreptitiously. I would build a stand using hardcover books and set my book on it just under the light

Valerie Gross, MM, MLS, JD, is President and CEO of an educational organization with a multi-million dollar budget, hundreds of employees, and seven locations - the Howard County, MD Library System. Her mission-driven approach is a model for similar organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally. She is an attorney who is a member of the California Bar, and she’s an accomplished vocalist. And, she and her husband are the proud parents of a professional tennis player.   At a time, when it’s not uncommon to hear that libraries have become irrelevant, Valerie and her team are serving the community in unexpected ways. And the results are clear. Visits to Howard County libraries are up from one to three million in the past decade, items borrowed have doubled to 7.3 million, and research assistants, and attendance at events has almost quadrupled to 306,000. Her staff are adaptable and pride themselves on offering excellent customer service and they study best practices from successful corporations.   Valerie

Kimberly Palmer writes, speaks and teaches about making smart money and life choices.   She’s married and has two children, teaches a class on social media, has a full-time job as a writer/editor with AARP and has an Etsy shop. Her third book, "Smart Mom, Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family" has just been released!    Kimberly takes a multi-generational approach to her work, honoring the wisdom of mothers of all ages. In this discussion she shares how a letter about money that her mother wrote to her when she was 21 inspired and informed her work. She also discusses: Juggling family, a job, a writing career, an Etsy shop, and teaching social media classes, Wisdom from her new book with advice for women at all stages of mothering, Pitching and winning her first book deal, Setting and tracking weekly, monthly, and yearly goals, The many possibilities for new empty-nesters, Giving an allowance, Teaching children about money, Reading The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf as a young teen, and The

Grace Freedson is a leader in the book publishing world who represents authors as a literary agent and works with publishers to shape their offerings. She was Managing Editor and Director of Acquisitions for Barron’s. (The company that publishes SAT and AP prep books.) But she recognized that her future career prospects there were limited and crafted a plan to start her own company by the year 2000. And sure enough, her Y2K plan was fulfilled when she formed Grace Freedson’s Publishing Network.    In our discussion Grace shares her journey through the publishing and entrepreneurial world, and helps to demystify the publishing process. She explains the steps an aspiring author would follow to secure a book contract including writing a proposal and developing a following to market the book. Learn more about the authors that Grace represents through listening to Podcast 011 with Doug Hensch.    Listen to the podcast to hear Grace discuss:   Finding a job that suits your personal needs. Grace began her publishin

Kristen Iuppenlatz Grech just celebrated the 10th anniversary of her pilates studio, Pilates Collective, in Sebastopol, CA. And, she recently launched PilatesHomePractice.com to share the power of Pilates and her motivating videos with people all over the world. Even if you don’t know what Pilates is, you’ll be inspired by Kristen's story of launching a fitness-based business venture after many years of working a tech job while also doing acting and voice over gigs.   In this discussion, Kristen shares how manically driving between jobs and auditions resulted in two car accidents. This led her to physical therapy and eventually to pilates. And over a period of time, she dedicated her life to helping others through Pilates.   Listen to the podcast to hear Kristen describe:  Transitioning from Pilates student to studio owner How a blind date changed the course of her life Simple exercises you can do while listening to the podcast What Pilates is (Hint: it's more than just exercise!) Getting creative juices flo

In this third journal episode, my four most recent guests discussed major goals that they achieved that in hindsight were stepping stones to something greater.   In Journal Episode 1, I shared ten practices from my first ten guests and you can read the transcript from that episode on my blog at EverBetterU.com/blog.   In Journal Episode 2, I discussed how every single guest has shaped their life by following their interests, and then taking that a step further by teaching what they’ve learned along the way. This continues to be true with my most recent guests Jason Wrobel, Anita Kulkarni, Sarah Mastriani-Levi, and Joleene Moody.   This episode highlights how my four most recent guests followed their interests and pursued very specific opportunities to explore and develop their skills. And each one of them discussed how those opportunities helped them get to where they are today. What caused them to pursue these stepping stone experiences? They each talked about an inner drive to explore these pursuits.  

Sarah Mastriani-Levi is a holistic health coach, leader of leaders, a chef specializing in plant-based cuisine, and founder of Mannafest Living. When someone is seeking a change in their life, they may not know what steps to take first, and Sarah helps guide them through these periods. Her work is rooted in appreciation of cultures developed while living in various parts of the U.S. as well as Israel and China.   Sarah is the proud mother of four talented children! She has also found time to co-author three international best-selling books and is contributing to a fourth. And, she is the host and producer of the Simple Change Podcast.   Sarah joined me on Ever Better for a discussion that included:   Raising children who can hang with jazz greats, and the inherent challenges Moving to China to learn acupuncture and Chinese medicine  Practicing holistic medicine in Israel and the U.S. Guiding clients through life transitions and tips for making changes Practicing leadership Learning to cook Moroccan food and

Dr. Anita Kulkarni is a plastic & reconstructive surgeon with a special interest in breast reconstruction following a mastectomy. Dr. Kulkarni holds a special place in my life because after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, she partnered with my breast surgeon, Dr. Pamela Wright, to perform my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.   She joined me on Ever Better for a discussion that included:   Tips for someone who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Above all...don't panic!  Practices for quicker recovery and a healthier lifestyle Why she chose to be a plastic surgeon and her first breast cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer center. The rarity of female plastic surgeons.  Growing up as the child of immigrants who emphasized education and learning a profession.  Dr. Kulkarni's other specialty, "the mommy makeover." Fitting workouts with her husband into her busy schedule. Studying the Bhagavad Gita and mindfulness practices from the Hindu religion. About Dr. Anita Kulkarni  Dr. Ku

Joleene Moody is a conduit for change! From the moment you hear her voice you'll understand her power to help those who want to uncover and discover who and what they are truly meant to be and do. Joleene believes that talents aren’t meant to sit idle. They are the key to your absolute abundance. Always.   Joleene is a former television reporter and anchor turned keynote speaker, author and blogger. After getting punched in the head while covering a story, Joleene finally left a job she found dissatisfying to fulfill her dreams and earn the income she desired.In this podcast we discuss:  Joleene's journey from anchor to speaker, author and blogger,  Realizing a job is not right (or healthy) after getting punched in the head while covering a story at the courthouse, What it means to be an entrepreneur and blogger, Having impact - learning that someone decided not to commit suicide after hearing her talk,  Coming back from burnout, Practicing gratitude, Cultivating multiple income streams, Being grounded in gr