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

Jason Andrew Wrobel is the author of Eaternity, available in stores on April 5. At first glance, Eaternity appears to be a vegan cookbook, but it’s so much more! It’s a holistic lifestyle book with themes and lessons from Jason's life journey. His experiences and passions shine through in this book including:   Graduating from the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, Being Head Raw Food Chef at Café La Vie in Santa Cruz, CA and chef to many celebrities including Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, and Russell Simmons,  Launching the first longevity cooking show, How to Live to 100, and Speaking and presenting raw vegan food at dozens of conferences.    Listen to this podcast to hear Jason discuss: Achieving his dream of writing and publishing Eaternity, The impact of his grandfather's cancer,  Experimenting with plant-based foods and becoming vegan, Identifying and treating clinical depression, Leading by example and influencing others to adopt a healthier practices, Living in alignment with values, H

  This Ever Better episode isn’t my typical podcast where I share an in-depth discussion with one amazing guest. It’s a short journal episode where I share two practices common to every guest I've had on the show: Follow your interests and teach what you've learned. In their own voices, Jeff Davidoff, Tasia Valenza, Doug Hensch and Jessie Marshall describe how they apply these practices. As you might suspect, I relate to these practices because I’m following my interest in podcasting – evident in my weekly episodes. On the teaching side…I’ve been asked to share my knowledge and lessons learned with other podcasters and appreciate and enjoy the opportunity to help - as others helped me.  This is the second in a series of journal episodes where I share practices that my guests have in common. The first journal episode is Ten Practices From the First Ten Episodes.   Ever Better Guest: Jeff Davidoff  From his first job out of college, Jeff was drawn to marketing. He earned an MBA and then went on to found Upshot,

Tasia Valenza describes herself as a recovering actress and fully-functioning voice over artist. If you watch the Hallmark Channel, you’ll know Tasia from her heartfelt introductions to the Good Witch television show. And if you watch Disney’s animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, you’ll know her as the wise Jedi, Shaak Ti. If you’re a gamer, you’ll recognize her as the voice of Poison Ivy in the Batman: Arkham games. And if you watched All My Children in the 80's, you’ll know her as the Emmy-nominated actress who played beautiful and manipulative, Dottie Thornton.  Tasia also uses her many talents to help others. A child growing up in an SOS Children’s Villagewouldn’t recognize Tasia’s voice. But he or she would understand the safety and security of home that Tasia helps to provide. And Tasia has literally donated her voice to those who cannot speak, through Vocal ID.   Through her passion project, Giving Great Voice, Tasia helps others share their voice with confidence.  We discuss: Tasia's professio

Jessie Marshall teaches pilates mat, pilates reformer, yoga, barre classes, is a personal trainer and the Mind/Body Director at Bethesda Sport & Health.    Jessie began her fitness journey in college when she felt empowered to take ownership of her health for the first time in her life. She majored in Health Promotion and Women’s studies with a plan to work for a non-profit focused on women’s health advocacy. But as she spent more time at the gym and began working with clients, she found that she loved helping people as a personal trainer. Once she discovered Pilates her mind/body career began to blossom and she soon had a successful career.     I take a Pilates Reformer class with Jessie so I blame her for my sore muscles every Tuesday and credit her for my improved strength, posture, and flexibility.   We discuss: Discovering the importance of fitness  Joseph Pilates and the history of "his" exercises Pilates equipment  Mind/body disciplines including yoga and barre Applying Pilates principles while si

Jeff Davidoff has had a highly successful marketing career for an interesting collection of well-known companies: Whirpool, Orbitz, The ONE Campaign, Citibank, and Upshot. Jeff’s current role is Chief Marketing Officer of Donuts Inc., a wholesaler of not-com domains - which Jeff explains during the podcast.     Jeff believes that you are either part of the solution or part of the problem. He shares his passion for finding and bringing big ideas to life, how and why he transitioned from one impressive organization to another and his practices for getting Ever Better!    We discuss: Founding and growing an agency to 200 people, Being interviewed by Bono to be Chief Marketing Officer of the One Campaign, The art and science of integrated marketing, Learning about Absolut by being immersed in the product environment, Creating the most successful ad in Whirpool history without showing a Whirlpool product, Being open to ideas Creating game-changing, empowering campaigns (See Cocoa na Chocolate and Famine is the F

This is an Ever Better milestone podcast that celebrates the first ten episodes!  I'm introducing a new "journal" format with this episode where I reflect on and share ten practices from my guests on getting ever better. I discuss their practices, how I apply those same practices, and a short clip from one show. Here’s what sparked the idea for this format… I unearthed a 5-year journal that I bought for myself in January 2015 – over a year ago. The idea behind this journal is that every day of the year, over a 5 year period, I would write a short answer to the same prompt. For example, the question for January 24 is “If you were going to start your own company, what would it be?” The prompt for January 6 is “Today was tough because _______.”   Through using this journal I would build up an incredible record of my activities, perspectives, goals, and thoughts. I thought that this was a fantastic idea! I bought the journal with a commitment to writing in it every day for the next five years. Unfortunately, I on

Throughout his life, Doug Hensch has helped people to be more resilient, happier, and to achieve greater levels of success. His journey began with coaching football at University of Chicago, progressed to organizational development for telecom companies like Sprint Nextel, and evolved to creating online resources for increasing happiness. He was co-founder of Happier.com, a web site that launched in 2008 that helped thousands increase their happiness and resilience. And now, he’s an executive coach and writing a book on resilience, due to be published in early 2017.   We discuss:   Career stepping stones including coaching youth baseball Achieving success by following what interests you rather than pursuing the expected career path. In Doug's case this meant pursuing a job applying positive psychology rather than website product development.   Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude Benefits of talking to people wherever you are - at Starbucks, a taxi cab, an airplane... Making a

Cheryl Wood is a corporate keynote speaker, leadership coach, author and creator of the Play Time is Over Women In Business Conference.   Seven years ago, Cheryl took her first entrepreneurial steps. She was working long hours as a legal secretary and felt disconnected from her husband, children and community. And she was determined to change her life.    Cheryl began by putting positive, inspiring messages into the world through t-shirts celebrating women and moms. 18 months later she was asked to speak at a conference. and found her true calling as a speaker and coach. Cheryl is now a sought after motivational speaker and full-time entrepreneur helping women to become beacons of inspiration for each other through boldly sharing their stories and their truth.    We discuss: The importance of "staying on the grind" and bringing your "A-game" to every situation Cheering yourself on through positive affirmations  Battling self doubt and walking through fear  Increasing your reach through developing skills, exp

Mark Neidig builds community everywhere he goes! He's an energetic cancer research advocate, fundraiser, performer, and motivator. Mark shares "what makes him tick" along with the life journey that has taken him and his family from Plymouth, Indiana to The Gambia, to Washington, D.C., to Erie, Pennsylvania, and now to Orlando, Florida.  We discuss:  Making decisions through following your heart   Leaving Indiana to work at a medical facility in The Gambia Living an "It Takes A Village" philosophy  Connecting donors with causes they are passionate about Being guided by his Christian faith The state of cancer treatments and cancer research including his work at Kanzius Foundation (see video below) Finding joy through helping others   Thanks for listening! Learn more about Ever Better at http://www.EverBetterU.com.    Join the Ever Better Facebook Community or follow us on Twitter @EverBetterU.

Laura Zam is a writer, performer and speaker who shares lessons of gaining confidence. Laura describes what she learned from her larger-than-life mother who was a Holocaust survivor as well as her lifelong journey to heal from sexual assault. Laura's work helps others understand that confidence often follows courage.   We discuss:  Playing up to 28 characters in her one-woman shows Her healing journey from sexual assault Lessons from Laura's mother, a Holocaust survivor The power of asking "how can I?" Teaching women that confidence often follows courage Organizing the day based on canonical hours Rituals vs. routines   Thanks for listening! Learn more about Ever Better at http://www.EverBetterU.com.    Join the Ever Better Facebook Community or follow us on Twitter @EverBetterU.      

As a multi-media storyteller, Greg uses his many talents as a photographer, musician, designer, writer, and videographer to create powerful narratives for his clients. Greg's broadcasting career includes his current podcast, Life On Purpose, his former podcast, Radio Enso, and a stint as a D.J. known as "Iceberg." Greg and his wife, Ellen, live in San Diego. Greg shares how World Domination Summit and Camp Good Life Project inspired him to help others live a remarkable life in a conventional world. You'll be inspired by Greg's journey to live his life on purpose! We discuss:  Making a difference through multi-media storytelling, The history of podcasting, Finding a community of like-minded non-conformists at World Domination Summit and Camp Good Life Project,  Growing up with a multipotentialite grandfather, Moving from understudy to a starring role...multiple times, Producing discussions about living life on purpose including:      Robert Moss - Bringing More Magic and Play to Everyday Life Tess Vigeland

Dan Horowitz is a connector! He routinely brings people together while continuing to build his network. And, as LinkedIn’s Director for Advocacy and Campaigns, he builds teams that can make a difference on specific issues. And this role follows an almost 20 year career at FleishmanHillard where his team provided integrated marketing communications solutions to non-profits, government. entities and corporations.  In addition to his day job, Dan and his wife are devoted parents to a son who is on the autism spectrum. He loves to discuss meteorology and politics making the DC-area the perfect place for him to live and work.  We discuss:  Coffee-shop networking Encouraging people in all stages of their career How an interest in the weather led to a career in digital The LinkedIn job that resulted from Dan's own networking   Dan's summer sabbatical and the books that he found most impactful (list below) Educating Jewish students with special needs The power of neurodiversity     Learn more about Ever Better at h

Anne Meador wanted to learn from entrepreneurs so she created the Working Women Entrepreneur podcast! Almost one year later, it's a highly-rated show featuring insights from dozens of women. Anne's podcast is a valuable resource to women who juggle numerous responsibilities, including their own businesses. Now, she's developing a virtual community for women entrepreneurs.   Anne lives in Florida with her husband and two children and has been an inspiration to me in creating the Ever Better podcast.  Join the EverBetterU community on Facebook.   Learn more about Ever Better  at http://www.everbetteru.com/ or send an email to Lisa@EverBetterU.com.         

Connie Inukai had a BIG 2015!  She’s an inventor who recently launched her first product on QVC called the Tip n' Split. At about the same time, she retired from her teaching job at University of MD and her fifth grandchild was born. She won the Washington, D.C. version of Shark Tank and is a finalist for Shark Tank and is hoping to make an appearance in the near future. She won the gold medal at INPEX Invention Show and was awarded second place at InnovateHer, a showcase for inventions that benefit women. Listen to this interview to learn how Connie created the second career that she had been thinking about as she raised her children and worked as a college professor.   The Tip n' Split is the size of a small calculator. It features a magnifying glass, a light so that you can see your menu in a dark restaurant, and it calculates a tip and splits the bill which is handy for when you go out to eat with groups. Connie created the second career that she had been thinking about as she raised her children

Jesse Mejia was born in South Central LA to parents who had recently immigrated to the US from El Salvador. As he attended a public elementary and middle school his potential was recognized by a school counselor. She encouraged him to apply to prep schools way outside of his neighborhood. He took her advice and was admitted to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire – a whole new world to Jesse.Syracuse University was his next academic stop where he earned a degree in Communications. He then worked for Dun & Bradstreet for several years before earning his MBA at Georgetown. In the ten years that followed, he worked for General Motors and Volkswagen Group of America rising to the position of Corporate Strategy Officer for VW Credit, Inc. But Jesse’s heart wasn’t in it. He wanted to pursue a full-time occupation that aligned his personal background, his educational experiences, and his calling to help other Latinos achieve some of the same success that he had.Jesse left VW to run two companies focused on h

Nathalie was just named one of the 10 heroes of 2015 by SOS Children’s Villages International. And here’s why…Nathalie is an attorney specializing in family law and working on behalf of foster care children. Her unique life experiences allow her to bring a special empathy and dedication to her work.Nathalie was born and raised in Haiti and grew in an SOS Children’s Village. When she was 16, she left SOS to finish high school in the U.S. She then graduated from Penn State. She earned her J.D. at University of Florida.Nathalie was in her final semester of law school when Port-au-Prince was devastated by the 2010 earthquake that we are all so familiar with. And, I’ll ask her today to share some of what she experienced at that time.After law school Nathalie was appointed as Child Protection Legal Fellow by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation that was working closely with the Haitian government to help advance children’s rights. When she was selected for the position, Angelina Jolie said “Nathalie is a force … just wait and

Deborah Williams is a CPA, business and life coach as well as a mom, daughter, and a great friend to many people. She’s weathered several challenging situations which haven’t left her bitter, they’ve left her better.   Accountants are sometimes thought of as boring number-crunchers, but Deb proves that thinking is absolutely incorrect!   She’s been controller of a commercial real estate company, owned and operated a café, managed her own real estate portfolio, and helps dozens of clients as a CPA.   Deb continues to get ever better through 12-step programs and mindfulness practices and she is now using all this knowledge to help even more people as a business and life coach.   Learn more at http://www.EverBetterU.com.

Welcome to the Ever Better podcast! I'm Lisa Vogt and this is an introduction to the conversations I’ll be sharing each week, what to expect from the Ever Better podcast and a bit about my background. In short, listening to the podcast will leave you inspired and with ideas for getting even ever better. GUESTS Join me for each week for discussions with people who will talk about their extraordinary journeys and how they live wholehearted, connected lives that make a difference in the world. Women and men who are often described as “daring” will share their joys, struggles, imperfections, successes and aspirations. And, we’ll find out how they stay inspired. My guests are continuous learners who strive to be ever better every day. You might be familiar with TED talks. Well, each of my guests live TED-worthy lives. They pursue big ideas or work with well-defined purpose. Some are known throughout the world, and some are well-known just in specific communities. Many re-prioritized or refocused their lives follo