Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire

My guest today is Jimmy Lambert, actor, director, dramatic arts educator. I met Jimmy 7 years ago in Vancouver, BC when he was on the road tour of Mamma Mia. He comfortably became an extended member of our family. Born and raised in California, Jimmy studied acting at UCLA after turning down an offer to play baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is grateful for all the values he learned from working with Gary Marshall, as well as the lessons learned from his parents. Sadly, his mom died 3 years ago, and as much as he misses her physical presence on a daily basis, he is grateful that he feels her spiritual presence in his heart and even in the audiences of his performances. Although Jimmy’s relationship with his dad is tumultuous, Jimmy says that no matter how much struggle you have with your parents, he believes there is still love to be found. Jimmy has performed in regional theaters or national tours with the musicals: Hair, Mamma Mia, Legally Blonde, Big River, and now is currently on the road tour of Bea

My guest today is Jennifer Mancuso along with Laura Boyd. Jennifer is a restorative justice advocate, community organizer, massage therapist and founder of Rockland Prison Justice Project. Rockland Prison Justice Project is a local grassroots advocacy group, organizing events, panel discussions, restorative justice circles, and workshops to raise awareness about mass incarceration, explore issues in the criminal justice system, by asking who is in prison, why are they there and for how long. Laura Boyd is a criminal defense attorney, specializing in appellate cases, and as a community resident, became an instrumental member of the Rockland Prison Justice Project, helping with the petition for clemency for Judy Clark, the getaway driver in the Brinks Robbery. Jennifer and Laura share personal stories of what lit a passion in them to help the most vulnerable in our society and why being involved in restorative justice is so crucial. The United States has the highest incarceration rate by far, of any other cou

My guest today is Stefanie Dunnigan. Stefanie has been an outstanding elementary school teacher for 17 years, who intuitively incorporates mindfulness into the classroom.  Well before the current trend of mindfulness, Stefanie was an educator who naturally tuned into her students. From first hand experience, Stefanie understood that students can’t absorb academics if they are mentally distracted, emotionally triggered, or traumatized, so she experimented with all sorts of strategies to engage her students, validate their feelings and guide them to calm down in order to be open for learning. Stefanie began to translate consciousness skills and meditation techniques she learned through her personal journey of readings, therapy, and research to make tools accessible for her students.   I wish you could see all the props she brought with her, but I asked her to describe them so listeners could imagine these creative, simple items that make mindfulness practices so tangible. The more Stefanie honored her own inn

My guest today is Collin Hauser. Collin is a musician, photographer, travel blogger and spiritual seeker. After years of dedication to his music (saxophonist, singer/songwriter, guitarist), Collin began to see the box he had created for himself - as if he wasn’t allowed to be anything else but a musician. With the help of his beloved wife, Tennessee, Collin experienced a re-calibration of who he was; his identity expanded to be more than a musician. Collin has embraced photography, videography, writing, and even exploring what it means to be an entrepreneur!     I had the privilege of officiating Collin and Tennessee's wedding and their love is palpable! They don’t take their healthy, vibrant marriage for granted, in fact they know what they have is precious, so they invest time, energy and mindfulness into their marriage. Collin attributes the foundation of their relationship to the wisdom they learned from Brene Brown’s book "Daring Greatly". You’ll hear from his reading of their wedding vows how they ca

My guest today is Shawna Emerick. Shawna is a dancer, gifted yoga teacher, retreat leader, and although we didn’t talk about it in this conversation, she is also a Thai massage practitioner and life coach. We first met dancing together in the performance company Moving Mantras, which blended modern dance and yoga. I soon discovered Shawna’s unique gifts as an outstanding yoga teacher. She utilizes her knowledge of anatomy, with verbal cues that are expressed like poetry, she embraces yoga philosophy, while modeling vulnerability and authenticity, she blends a childlike curiosity with her mature spiritual groundedness, making Shawna one of my all time favorite teachers. Shawna was a treasured participant in a group I ran 6 years ago, called “Cultivating Sacred Activists” which culminated in a 2 week volunteer trip to Malawi, Africa to support Anna Msowoya-Keys’s organization Maloto, which addresses the needs of AIDS orphans. (Please check out Anna’s podcast conversation with me - episode #9 in your podcast

My guest today is Warren Odze. Warren is a successful drummer who has had a rich, versatile career; he has played, recorded &/or toured with Rod Stewart, Judy Collins, Bernie Leighton, Milt Hinton, Hank Jones, Peter Allen, Henry Gross as well as played on countless Broadway shows. Warren appreciates that his parents introduced him to quality music, listening to legends like Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong. Jo Jones (aka Papa Jo Jones) was a family friend and actually played Warren’s bar mitzvah! He shares honest insights of the world of a professional musician, wisdom that applies to life in general. He talks openly about his own sobriety and lessons he learned after his divorce to be a better father. He  marvels at musicians who, regardless of the intense pressure they are under, can bring chill to the gig. Warren names ‘the magic cats’, inspiring musicians like Steve Gadd, Elvin Jones, Frank Sinatra and Chick Corea, who embody being in the zone. He describes his personal journey of s

My guest today is Jemma Lampkin. Jemma is a “Global Market Segment Manager”, living in the Netherlands. She initially moved to Rotterdam for her job, with the expectation to stay 2 years and has now been there for nearly 5 years. As much as she misses her NY roots, family and friends, this ex-pat embraces the quality of life she experiences abroad, the regular access to travel, and the strong morale at her company (she clarifies that working for a corporation in the Netherlands is markedly different than a corporation in the U.S.) Throughout her childhood and into her teens, Jemma was a devoted ballet dancer, but was then happily introduced to yoga, which offered a healthier mindset and balance; she became a certified yoga teacher 13 years ago. Jemma had a strong following from her yoga students in the NY area and has built the same in Rotterdam. Her precise verbal cues, understanding of body mechanics and challenging classes, explains why she is a sought-after yoga teacher! Unlike most yoga teachers, Jemma

My guest today is Dr. Victor Goodyer. Vic is a maxillofacial surgeon, who cares deeply about people, has an adventurous spirit, has beaten many odds, and sees “old age” as a career in itself. Vic lives on the quaint Isle d’Orleans, just outside the old city of Quebec, Canada and despite our geographical distance, has been a dear friend for over 30 years. He recounts the impact his tall, meticulous, British father and short, loving Italian mother had on his life, his attraction to challenge, sports and eventually medicine. Vic has enjoyed adventures on water, land and sky; he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, motorcycled throughout the States and Canada, as well as built and flown his own plane. In anticipating for and now embracing retirement, Vic has become more curious about spirituality, has learned to listen to the wisdom of his body, has taken time to reflect on lessons learned, and has let this chapter in his life be lived with intention and meaning, even if that means slowing down this active pace

My guest today is Susan Wortman. Susan is a psychotherapist, ceramicist, and my personal wing woman! Although Susan and I only met about 3 years ago, we had an instantaneous, deep connection, speaking the same heart language. She was honored to have a long career as a therapist, what she describes as her “calling”, for it felt effortless to facilitate a healing process for others. When she brought her psychotherapy practice to a close last year, she admitted that it was bittersweet. “It was really hard to say goodbye and really right to say goodbye.” Susan now devotes herself to working in clay, traveling and exercise. She has done an art residency in France, traveled through Croatia, lived in an ashram in the Czech Republic and will be attending another art residency in Italy this fall. The titles of her clay work reflect her inner landscape with each project: “Winged Women”, “Beauty On the Inside” and “Do You”.  We joked about calling her next project “Hell YES!!!” Inspired by Shonda Rhimes book “The Yea

My guest today is Jeffrey Lee Campbell. Jeff is a guitarist, composer, producer and most recently, a published author! Jeffrey’s honest, engaging book, “Do Stand So Close”, recounts his year as Sting’s guitarist on the “Nothing Like the Sun” world tour. To quote the publisher’s summary: “Do Stand So Close” follows Jeffrey’s amazing odyssey-from relocating to NYC and miraculously landing the high-profile gig, to life on the road with one of the planet’s biggest rock stars, to his humbling crash-and-burn after the tour.” Or as Jeff would summarize his book: “Young knucklehead learns his way through life, making lots of mistakes, while given the opportunity of a lifetime.” Jeffrey reminds me that he first met my husband, Paul on a Nite Sprite gig and then on an Ed Palermo gig, before they shared the Broadway musical pits of Saturday Night Fever, Seussical and then the 14 year run of Mamma Mia! Jeff now plays guitar for Broadway’s School of Rock, grateful for his 19 year and counting run on Broadway. He talks a

My guest today is Stephen Selman. Stephen is a musician, educator, amateur astronomer and entrepreneur. He studied guitar and songwriting at Berklee College of Music in Boston, appreciating not only the other musicians he befriended there, but how the confidence to create was instilled in him. Stephen embraces the philosophy of his work place, Brooklyn Music Factory, which believes that music is for everybody, music is FUN, and music is a social art form that is best enjoyed with others. Stephen has taught guitar and ensembles at Brooklyn Music Factory for the last 8 years, and recently took on the title of “Director of Big Music Games”. He created an app that kick starts the universal language of music, making it accessible to young children. He has loved that this exciting app project has stretched him, allowed him to collaborate with music teachers around the country, while integrating his love of computers with his passion for music! Stephen recalls a camping trip on a beach in Cape Cod, 10 years ago, w

My guest today is Laura Rodgers. I met Laura in yoga classes 6 years ago, yet learned in this conversation that she had been a dancer, studied yoga for 25 years, is a newly devoted vegan, and a passionate philanthropist. Beyond health and environmental reasons, Laura explains her recent shift to becoming a vegan; she cares deeply about  not harming any sentient beings. Laura describes her injury while a dance major at  Sarah Lawrence, as a blessing, which then led her to study psychology at NYU and complete her masters in Social Work at Yeshiva University. She credits her 7-day-soul-searching, healing retreat she attended 10 years ago through the Hoffman Process as a life-changing, transformative experience. Laura shares openly about being in recovery, her deep love and admiration for her 18 year old, her reconciliation and renewed connection with her second husband, someone she divorced over a decade ago, but who has recently become very important in her life. She humbly admits that life and love don’t fit

My guest today is Douglass DeCandia. Doug is a conscientious farmer, restorative justice activist and a gifted poet, who happens to be my first cousin once removed. Doug describes growing food as an act of providing nutrition, for people to live more fully physically, emotionally and spiritually. He is also dedicated to using restorative and regenerative agricultural methods that help heal what we have done to the land. Doug cares deeply about providing food for those who are systemically discriminated against because of who they are, where they live and where they are from. Doug is the  Sustainable Food Growing Coordinator for the Westchester (New York) Food Bank (recently renamed “Feeding Westchester”), where he has expanded vegetable gardens in a residential treatment school, a school for the deaf,  2 juvenile detention centers, and at the Westchester land trust.  I am so inspired by Doug’s wisdom, sensitivity and the integrity in which he walks upon our precious earth. I call Doug, my modern day Wendell

My guest today is Dana Forbes. Professionally Dana is a Gestalt therapist and co- facilitator of Intuition Groups for psychotherapists. Personally I know that Dana practices a soulful therapy that has Spirit at the center of his work. In fact, I think of Dana as a modern day theologian, one who sees God in everything, embodies mysticism, and understands the web of connectedness. Dana shares highlights of his spiritual journey, from his rich memories of working hard, in the sun, on a boat in Block Island, to being ‘hounded’ by the God of Christianity, to heeding a call to the priesthood, starting a monastery in RI, to rejecting the dogma of Catholicism and leaving the monastery, to struggling to define what it meant to follow his bliss, to eventually becoming a psycho/spiritual therapist. Dana delights in telling stories of synchronicity, mystery and his wondrous, uncanny encounters with that which is beyond the physical realm. He has felt the profound, palpable presence of God running through his body. His op

My guest today is Kathryn Selman (also known as Kat). I had the honor of officiating Kathryn’s wedding last summer at a beautiful barn, called Gratitude and Grace, 2 attributes that capture Kathryn and her husband, Stephen. Kat is a vocalist, singer-songwriter, music educator and most recently a marketing director for the Brooklyn Music Factory. Kat gracefully blends jazz, Brazilian and pop, into her compositions, and is about to release her first album. Ross Pederson, my guest last week, produced, mixed and played drums on Kathryn’s record, along with being musical director in the studio. She is so grateful to Ross for helping shape the record. Kathryn is a self taught ukulele and mandolin player, and recently picked up the electric bass, which she now plays in an all female punk band called Ladybits!    In addition to music, Kathryn loves learning, as she cultivates her many interests, gifts and passions. She invests time and energy in crafts, nature, innovative projects, nutrition, travel and social ju

My guest today is Ross Pederson. Ross is a gifted drummer, producer, composer and arranger. Ross has been described as: “an explosive, yet sensitive, dynamic and compelling voice on the drum set”, which also fits his personality...except for maybe the explosive part! He shares his early musical influences from his parents, his Mom was a piano teacher, his Dad taught him to play trumpet at 5 years old, the lure of his older brother’s drum set, and the incredible experiences he had at UNT, playing with the One O’Clock Lab Band. Ross has lived in NYC, for the past 9 years, performed and/or toured with Lew Soloff, Kenny Werner, Patti Austin, Chris Potter, Jean Michele Pilc, Francois Mouton, Richard Bona, Rufus Reid, Mark Egan, Oz Noy, Marc Johnson, Patricia Barber, The Manhattan Transfer, and Grace Kelly, to name a few. I am blessed to have Ross as my son-in-law, and in our conversation, I encouraged him to share the sweet, romantic story of his first date with my daughter, Julia. Ross has traveled the world,

My guest today is Berthilde Dufrene, nurse, administrator, published author and inspiring leader. I first learned of Berthilde, through her relief work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Her mission trip experiences provide a window into this dedicated, courageous woman. Berthilde founded the Haitian American Nurses Association (also known as HANA) of Rockland County which orchestrated much needed humanitarian and medical relief trips. Under Berthilde’s leadership, HANA shifted focus from recovery to sustainability. They adopted a National Nursing School in Haiti and passionately work on raising funds for their Nursing Student Scholarship Program. Please check the show notes to links for HANA of Rockland to see how you can support this important endeavor. Initially Berthilde had 10 years of business experience with IBM before changing careers into nursing - a career that felt so right for that she continued her studies, earning her associates, bachelors, and masters in nursing, and impressively has found t

Carlo Pellegrini, also known as Mr. Amazing, is the only person that I have met that actually ran away to join the circus! Carlo is a circus performer, educator, and co-director of Amazing Grace Circus, who also had a career as a modern dancer. Carlo grew up in San Jose, CA and credits his education with the Jesuits as helping him question authority, develop leadership skills and think differently. Carlo tells of his lure to the circus and the eye-opening, colorful story of his year on the road with the world’s smallest circus, from the world’s smallest country, performed by the smallest minds: The Royal Liechtenstein Quarter Ring Sidewalk Circus! Carlo also performed and toured the world with the innovative modern dance company: Nikolais Dance Theater. Carlo doesn’t mention it in this conversation but he also was the Ring Master for the Big Apple Circus back in the 1980s. Carlo’s thoughtful reflection on his Dad’s death, specifically his Dad’s murder, and his journey of healing, is very moving. In episode

Toney Earl, Jr. is the executive director and co-founder of MADE-Transitional Services, the non-profit agency to provide opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals to transform their lives. Through job readiness, job placement and life skills training, MADE promotes personal responsibility, healthy relationships and support for the participants to make a positive contribution to society. Toney is a genuine, dynamic spokesperson addressing  at-risk youth, business owners in the private and non-profit sectors, academia, and policy makers. He speaks about mass incarceration, social justice and restorative justice, while helping to develop innovative solutions to expand workforce inclusion for formerly incarcerated men and women. Toney’s devotion to the people he serves and the challenges he faces is driven by his own personal experience of incarceration and a promise he made to God and himself to work twice as hard in doing right as he had done wrong. The first guest on my podcast back in January, was

Estefania Ochoa is an entrepreneur, innovative event planner and a radiant soul! She and I met last month and had an immediate soulful connection, sharing values, life philosophy and our dreams to make a difference in the world; Estefania is my new kindred spirit! She has started her own magazine SOYYO (translated from Spanish “I am me”) which is the answer she eventually gave to people’s discomfort with her ethnic ambiguity, constantly asking “what are you?” With SOYYO, Estefania taps into various artistic communities (art, music, and fashion) to promote a culture of self expression, while focused on sustainable development. Estefania’s teen parents raised her in California, but by the time she was 17, her family moved back to Mexico, challenging Estefania to tap inner resources to develop independence and resiliency. Honoring and supporting artists, Estefania is determined to create community, while grounded in humility and gratitude. She brings a mindfulness to life, discovering the lessons in mistakes, an