”Inspire Us” with J. Paul Nadeau

Episode 53: Dallas Graham - The Red Fred Project: Giving children with rare diseases and life threatening illnesses a way to be seen and remembered differently

In this episode, Dallas Graham shares his inspiring story of how a friend's young son, Nathan, who died from a rare disease ignited a fire in him to make a difference in the lives of children like Nathan and their communities. The Red Fred Project was born out of Nathan's connection to Dallas, and many children like Nathan are now being seen as authors of their own stories!About Dallas: 
Dallas Graham is a fortysomething, Salt Lake City creative interested in books, birds, stories, kindness, photography, letters, yoga, natural parks, punctuation marks, giant eggs, compassion, making hummus, collaborations, and hiking with others. He is learning there are many ways to solve problems—especially when working with people who care about other people, whether they are friends or strangers.
Dallas is an independent publisher and the executive director of the Red Fred Project and is currently creating life legacies in the form of children’s books with kiddos dotting the United States. “We are producing the greatest stories ever told.” Would you like to help him with his book-making mission? Good. He’d love your help. Give him a call.
About the Red Fred Project:
The Red Fred Project finds children living in extraordinary circumstances (rare diseases and life-threatening illnesses) and asks them the question: If you could write a book for the entire world to read, what would it be about? The stories they share are filled with humor, compassion and wisdom. The books they create together become a vehicle for these stories. They become a lasting voice, a tangible achievement for each child. As part of the proceeds from each book sold go to the family, or to a related cause chosen by the child, the books are also a way to help with financial difficulties. You see? The magic multiplies & lives on forever. You will be inspired by the talent and imagination of these children.
http://redfredproject.com/

Episode 52: Namelokai Sein Kina - A survivor of severe abuse, Female Genital Mutilation and sexual assault speaks of finding her Lioness' voice and overcoming her circumstances to help others

Namelokai Sein Kina has a sad and extraordinary story. As a survivor of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), sexual abuse, bullying, and more, she chose to become a lioness despite her past and help others by bringing awareness and hope to all people who have suffered. *Be aware that this episode may trigger some, and it is NOT for everyone.About Namelokai:
Namelokai Sein Kina
Founder of Keep Girls Safe Foundation and an alum of Wichita State University, Namelokai Sein Kina holds Bachelors of Arts degrees in Women's Studies and Social Work. She also has a Masters of Arts in Social Work, a certificate with the Board of Immigration Appeal, and an FGM expert, a Certified Human rights Consultant, Certified DISC Behavior Consultant.  Namelokai has more than two decades of personal and professional practice in community-based advocacy for the campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM), domestic violence, and forced child marriages
With various first-hand expertise and experience and operating from a strengths-based social justice perspective, Namelokai has served locally, nationally, and internationally as an advocate, project coordinator for gender-specific programming, and human rights campaigner, working to eliminate FGM.  Specifically, she has acted as a forerunner in advancing broad-based community awareness and FGM prevention programming by advocating for an alternative rite of passage in Kenya and passing laws in Kansas and Kenya. additionally, Namelokai and works with multidisciplinary professionals who serve the young people who are subjugated to and who have survived FGM
 
Namelokai has a passion for bridging the gap between direct practices, research, and policy to eradicate FGM globally.  She has been locally and internationally recognized through honors and awards, particularly for her work supporting girl child education in Kenya, saving young girls from FGM, and working with women and girls at risk of or subjugated forced child marriages and FGM.
 
Namelokai is the Author of a book to be released in August of 2021. A Twist in the Survivor of female genital Mutilation. She hopes that Survivors will know what happened to them, don't define them, and they are not what happened to them. They are what they decide to do once now that they know it's OK not to be OK. Get inspired to create change, learned about the culture of FGM, demand policy change, and survivors will get empowered, know they are not alone, end the stigma, and know there is help to getting their clitoris back.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/namelokai/
 
 
 
 

Episode 51: Gisele Nguyen - Massive action! Can sheer willpower be enough to expedite massive healing?

Can wanting something bad enough be enough? Not without action, obviously. But does this also apply to healing our bodies after a severe accident? Tune in to find out how Gisele Nguyen said 'no' to a doctor's long-haul recovery projection and was back at work three months after her neck was broken and NOt the three years doctors told her it would take.
About Gisele:
Gisele Nguyen enjoys connecting with professionals and students around the world through her speaking, non-profits and coaching business. She is a proud mother, educator, entrepreneur, and award-winning corporate executive with 20 years of experience in business management, global supply chain, marketing, education, and sales. As a former Director at the Coca-Cola Company, she led a national project team of 30 managers to improve the club channel distribution that generated about 1 Billion in annual revenues. 


Gisele became an entrepreneur to pursue her passion for teaching, coaching, and speaking. 
She has started two companies and led three non-profits including the REACH Foundation and Inside the Outdoors which is administered by Orange Country Department of Education. OCDE supports 27 school districts and 500,000 students in Orange County, California. 


https://giseletnguyen.com/
IG: @gislenguyen
FB: Gisele Nguyen
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/giseletnguyen/
 

Episode 50: Dr. Mark Goulston - Surgical Empathy *Suicide prevention techniques and making sure to ask the right questions

In this episode, Dr. Mark Goulston talks about how to spot potentially suicidal people and how to ask the right questions to help prevent suicide.
About Mark:
Dr. Mark Goulston is an international speaker, executive coach, consultant, advisor and confidant to founders, entrepreneurs and leaders. He has been a UCLA professor of psychiatry for twenty plus years and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a former FBI and police hostage negotiation trainer and the inventor and developer of Surgical Empathy, a process he used for twenty-five years to prevent all his suicidal patients from dying by suicide and that he now uses to unlock and unblock his clients from counterproductive habits and behaviors from their inside out and frees them to replace them with productive alternatives so they can fulfill their potential.
 
He is a best-selling author or co-author of nine books with his book, “Just Listen,” translated into twenty-seven languages becoming the top book on listening in the world. His HBR Ideacast episode, “Become a Better Listener,” has been their #1 Ranked episode for three years. He was the co-creator and moderator of the multi-honored documentary, Stay Alive: An Intimate Conversation about Suicide Prevention. He hosts the “My Wakeup Call” podcast and the LinkedIn Live program, “No Strings Attached.” He is a Founding Member of the Newsweek Executive Forum and frequently sought-after subject area expert on human psychology and behavior on all media platforms. His latest book is, Why Cope When You Can Heal? How Healthcare Heroes of Covid-19 can Recover from PTSD.
https://markgoulston.com/

Episode 49: Ingrid Palmer - A win for one is a win for everybody - *How we improve as people when we include those with disabilities

Ingrid Palmer has had her challenges growing up. From a rare disease that caused her voice to sound as deep as a man's and hair to grow on her face, to visual impairment - nobody gave her a break at first. But her attitude and determination prevailed, and now she is making a huge difference in the world of inclusion for those with impairments. Be prepared to be inspired by this wonderful story of perseverance and having a positive attitude, no matter what.
About Ingrid:
As a visually impaired Black woman with a gender non-conforming characteristic, and 8 years of foster care after sexual abuse my life trajectory seemed to be on a statistical track to nowhere. Determined to exceed expectations, Ingrid Palmer dug deep inside herself, refusing to allow the external forces of systemic and social discrimination and stigma to determine how her life outcome would unfold.
Despite the odds, she graduated from high school, college and university. The same situations that had once threatened to bury her became the platform on which she built a successful, empowering, and fulfilled career in advocacy.
Today, she is a powerful champion of marginalized voices by using her impactful narratives to break down barriers and connect people on a deeper level. she turned her challenges into triumphs, thereby paving new pathways to equity, diversity and inclusion.
Ingrid Palmer is a diversity and inclusion consultant, program coordinator, and the founder and CEO of ‘Focus On Ability’. As a partially sighted woman of color, former foster child, and having a gender non-conforming characteristic, Ingrid works with organizations to break down stereotypes and build stronger and supportive connections.Ingrid believes in the potential and value of every individual in society. As an advocate, she is committed to amplifying marginalized voices and has championed equity, diversity and inclusion in the child welfare, disability, education, housing, and poverty sectors. 
Ingrid is a diversity and inclusion consultant, program coordinator, and the founder and CEO of ‘Focus On Ability. As a partially sighted woman of color, former foster child, and having a gender non-conforming characteristic, Ingrid works with organizations to break down stereotypes and build stronger and supportive connections.Ingrid believes in the potential and value of every individual in society. As an advocate, she is committed to amplifying marginalized voices and has championed equity, diversity, and inclusion in the child welfare, disability, education, housing, and poverty sectors.  Political Action Committee, a Community Mentor, member of Black Voices United, and Disability Next Media Lab(D-Next).
The beginning of your life May have been awful, but the rest of your life doesn’t have to be. Everyone has value and a place in the world, and a win for someone else is a win for you too.
Organizations looking to build stronger connections and relationships amongst their workforce, and between the clients they serve. Nonprofits and agencies working with marginalized groups and educators.
“When you dig deep into your challenges, you mine the very ingredients necessary to overcome them.”“When you dig deep into your vulnerabilities, you mine the seeds necessary to grow your strength.”
Now she is part of: The Right to Housing Toronto initiative.Moderating bold conversations on issues of EquityConnecting federally regulated businesses with the disability community.Creating disability media content.
Ms. Palmer is an award-winning inspirational speaker, author, certified in group facilitation, diversity and inclusion, and mental health first aid.  Ingrid holds the distinction of being the only individual to be honored with the “Friends of Macaulay” award, and the first former foster child to sit on the board of the girl's group home where she resided.
IG: @focusonabilitylifeIN: Ingrid PalmerFB: Ingrid Palmer

Episode 48: Amy Stanton - Women Power - The Feminine Revolution *How femininity is a wonderful superpower

Every year is women's year! Women are taking their rightful place in business and everywhere else, and it hasn't been an easy road. In this episode, Amy Stanton talks about the superpower of femininity and how it so wonderfully applies to business and life.
About Amy:
Amy K StantonFounder & CEO, Stanton & Company, LLC
With a background in traditional marketing and deep experience in marketing to and building brands for women, Amy Stanton has a unique perspective on the women's landscape, the role of femininity in personal and professional lives, and the impact that unleashing our true feminine power can have on our happiness.
Amy founded Stanton & Company (S&Co) with a passion for promoting and building positive female role models and messaging for women. Since 2006, when the company opened its doors, S&Co has built a roster of philosophy-driven brands, including exceptional athletes, lifestyle experts, and brands in the healthy, active living space.
Before founding Stanton & Company, Amy served as the first-ever chief marketing officer (CMO) for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and was the head of marketing and communications for NYC2012, New York's Olympic bid, where she developed and executed both the local and international campaigns for this first-ever endeavor. Amy started her career in account management at advertising agencies including BBDO, JWT, and BBH.
Between her leadership roles on Fortune 500 accounts in advertising, her role as the CMO at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and, most recently, as founder and CEO of an eleven-year-strong marketing and PR agency focused on building female-focused brands, Amy has deep experience in the women's space and a wide range of relationships with powerful women who have inspired her thinking about femininity and how women can be their best.
Amy recently co-authored The Feminine Revolution with Catherine Connors, challenging the idea that femininity is weak, and encouraging women to redefine and embrace their feminine qualities as sources of power.
Amy has received accolades and awards from the Sports Business Journal, Women in Sports and Events (WISE) LA, and BlogHer, and Stanton & Company has been recognized as an industry leader. She speaks about femininity, marketing and representation, women in sports, and women's leadership.
http://stanton-company.com/
IG: @amykstanton

Episode 47: Renée Deneen - "Doing Addicts" - Are you doing too much at the expense of yourself and others?

There is such a thing as doing too much, especially if it threatens your health and relationships. In the episode, Renée Deneen opens up about her addiction to "doing" and how she was able to overcome it before it resulted in severe loss.
About Renée:
Renée is a recovering workaholic and doing addict who left her executive-level leadership role in biotech to give herself a genuine shot at doing work that mattered most to her heart without sacrificing the rest of her life. What drives her today is the opportunity to reduce human and organizational suffering and equip people from all walks of life, to live with more purpose, joy, and grace. 
As an international thought leader playing at the intersection of business, psychology and well-being, Renée travels around the world coaching and advising leaders and teams how to best navigate risks, challenges and opportunities while fueling the soul of the organizations and cultures they shape.
In 2020, Renée took her own story to TedX stage. Her talk titled ‘Authentic Inaction™: Undoing the Doing in a Do Crazy World’ is an account of her own trials and tribulations as a doing addict.  Her talk has already reached over 500K views and supports her mission to revolutionize the way we work, play & relate to one another and our purpose.
Renée has been featured on several podcasts, presented on many global stages, and published dozens of articles on the topics of leadership, well-being and personal growth, several of which have been featured in publications such as Fortune, Financial Times & Elephant Journal.  She most recently co-authored a book called The Art & Truth of Transformation for Women that was released in Fall 2020.
www.reneedennen.com
 
 

Episode 46: Blake Fleischacker - Gratitude, appreciation, accountability, and giving thanks: Are you falling short in your relationships?

Time is guaranteed to no one. The relationships we have with family and friends must be nurtured in order for them to grow, just like plants. 
In this episode, Blake Fleischacker (AKA Blake Fly) talks about the importance of doing so and shares tips on how to do so. 
About Blake:
Blake Fly believes that appreciation and accountability are rocket fuel to create epic business relationships and has built his career around this single idea. 
 
He is a husband, new dad, entrepreneur, and 8-time TEDx Speaker. Blake's unexpected approach to appreciation has gotten him hired to deliver keynotes on over 1000 stages and invited to work with companies like Lululemon, LinkedIn, and Microsoft. 
 
Blake is the Co-Founder of a daily virtual coworking team for entrepreneurs around the world, keeping everyone accountable to their “important, but no urgent” growth projects in business. 
 
Blake is also the producer of a 55-year event series for entrepreneurs, called “Thank U Live.” Every year, Blake invites Entrepreneurs to look back on their year, surface the big lessons from their key moments, and deliver LIVE appreciation messages to the key people in their life and their business. Thousands of gratitude messages are sent and received around the world within minutes. 
 
Blake is a huge fan of the Ninja Turtles, he does not get along with gluten and he has a huge crush on his beautiful bride, Emily. 
--
Blake "Fly" FleischackerAuthor, Speaker, Music-Maker
1-877-987-4359
www.blakefly.com