Learn From People Who Lived it

Get the F#$k on With It with piano man, Jim Wilson

Get the F#$k on With It with Jim Wilson.
Jim was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and found his love of music at age 7. He came from a broken home, which affected his outlook on love for the rest of his life. He fell between the cracks in his family and was left without a bedroom, requiring him to learn the skills of self-determinism and overcoming seemingly impossible tasks at a young age.
Fast forward a little, and Jim decided to learn to tune pianos to support himself while he moved to LA to pursue music. He ended up being a great piano tuner and kept putting his own music aspirations on hold. In 1997, Jim lost his best friend, Claud, at 37 to an unexpected heart attack. Claud had big dreams and so much life in front of him that was now gone forever. This realization made Jim understand that there is not a limitless reservoir of tomorrows, and he had to pursue his dreams now no matter the outcome. With the love and support of his musical heroes—most significantly his friend and mentor Dan Fogelberg—Jim set out on a solo career of composing, recording, and performing his signature style of piano-featured instrumentals. 
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Jim discuss the importance of building relationships, how we can create “pinch me” moments in our everyday lives by being present, and the magic of the flow state. However, as we all know, things don’t always go as planned. Jim finishes off by giving us his tips on how he overcomes challenges by zooming out, refocusing, and continuing on.
“There’s not a limitless reservoir of tomorrows. Get the f#$k on with it.”
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why does it often take such dramatic circumstances to inspire change?
What it’s like to meet a Beatle: Tuning for Paul McCartney 
How can we create “pinch me” moments in our everyday lives?
How to get back on track when things don’t go right
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Dr. David Leicken, MD
JimWilsonMusic.com
Davey Johnstone
Dan Fogelberg
Henry Winkler on SmartLess
Friends of Fogelberg
"A Place In My Heart" by Jim Wilson
Tuned In—Memoirs of a Piano Man: Behind the Scenes with Music Legends and Finding the Artist Within by Jim Wilson
Shawn Colvin - Cry Like An Angel
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/

Behind the Scenes with Your Neighborhood Therapist, Colleen Steppa

Therapy Insights with Colleen Steppa
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why people stay in “bad” relationships, and how to communicate with someone in a “bad” relationship
The realities of getting into therapy
The importance of balancing empathy and accountability
How to have a hard conversation and make a repair attempt
Tips to shift the way you view yourself
Colleen Steppa is a licensed clinical social worker with active licenses in both Minnesota and Arizona. She owns a private practice located in Phoenix, Arizona, and focuses on trauma, healthy relationships, anxiety, depression, and managing challenging emotions using CBT, DBT, sand tray, IFS, and EMDR.
In this episode, Mathew and Colleen also talk about why people stay in “bad” relationships, how to communicate with someone in a “bad” relationship, the realities of getting into therapy, and the importance of balancing empathy and accountability. Colleens also gives us tips on how to have a hard conversation and make a repair attempt, a practical way to shift the way you view yourself, and who her ideal clients are.
Colleen tells us many of her clients wish they could get the people in their lives to go to therapy or do something to impact the systemic problems in the world. Her advice to them? All you can do is tend to your own garden. If you are always concerned with things outside of your control and always give too much, you will find yourself empty and burned out.
Years ago, Mathew found himself in that exact position. That is why he decided to walk away from the path that was leaving him empty and focus on helping people tell their stories through the podcast, since stories are the way we connect with each other. 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
AmityCounsel.org 
AnxiousGeneration.com
Candide, ou l'Optimisme by Voltaire 
The Gottman Institute
Inside Out 2 is Here to Help: Navigating Your Teen’s Emotions with Dr. Lisa Damour
Unconditional Positive Regard
Love and Logic Parenting Skills and Techniques
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Black Girls Do Engineer: Empowering the Next Generation in STEM with Kara Branch

Black Girls Do Engineer: Empowering the Next Generation in STEM with Kara Branch
In this episode, you'll hear:
How can we make STEM exciting for young people?
How to become an ally and provide support Black Girls Do Engineer
How parents and children can overcome limiting beliefs and roadblocks
Top careers for the future
Kara Branch is a multi-award-winning chemical engineer who has headed up projects for NASA and Intel. Kara was raised by a single mother with limited resources who knew her daughter was smart but wasn't sure what to do with her abilities. Kara didn’t find her love for chemistry until high school, and she didn't learn her skills could lead her to be a chemical engineer until her freshman year in college. During her time as an engineering major at HBCU Prairie View A&M University, she was only one of a handful of women in her program. Throughout her subsequent career in chemical engineering, she has often been the only Black woman in the room.
In 2019, Kara found herself increasingly troubled by the systemic issues within the field of STEM. and launched Black Girls Do Engineer to empower a future pipeline of academically gifted Black girls and young women by providing access, education, representation, and mentorship. As of today, BGDE has served over 4,000 girls, from kindergarten through college, with 60% coming from underrepresented communities. The program also has a 100% college acceptance rate and a 100% job placement rate among its members. 
In this episode, Mathew and Kara discuss tactics she uses to inspire her girls to pursue STEM, the importance of representation and exposure, why she created Black Girls Do Engineer, and how you can support them. Kara also talks about struggling to have her voice heard, the role of allies, and having to overcome additional challenges in male-dominated fields. They also talk about the success BGDE has had over the years, careers kids should be thinking about for the future, and the importance of having passion in whatever career you choose to pursue. 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Title 1 Tech – Future Stars AZ
BlackGirlsDoEngineer.org 
Kara Branch on Linkedin 
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

How to Fix Your Relationship with Food and Live the Life You Crave with Lia Pinelli

How to Fix Your Relationship with Food and Live the Life You Crave with Lia Pinelli
In this episode, you'll hear:
How mothers' relationships with their bodies impact their daughters
The dangers of letting yourself down and how to rebuild self-trust
Practical tips and tools to begin to Live the Life You Crave
The science of intermittent fasting and how to do it successfully
How to navigate a household that is not on your nutrition journey along with you 
Lia Pinelli is the owner of The Life You Crave and the leader of The Fempire, “a community of powerhouse women who are invested in feeling good in their own skin, building baller businesses, and creating the lives they crave unapologetically.” She came from an Italian-American household full of great food, and as a kid, she was teased for her weight. It wasn't until she turned 9 when her mother suggested they go on a diet together, that she began to see her different body as “bad”. This kickstarted three decades of yo-yo dieting that ended when she found a coach who helped her rethink her relationship with food and herself. Now she is paying it forward as a coach to other women who are ready to start living the life they crave.
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Lia discuss the line between good-natured teasing and inappropriate bullying, the difference between being self-conscious and health-conscious, and how being health-conscious can turn into orthorexia. Lia tells us how she fell into self-sabotaging behaviors around food and how she rebuilt trust in herself by changing her mindset from plans to promises, learning how urges impacted her, and moving through the feelings rather than running away from them.
“Any real growth requires discomfort.”
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Dr. David Leicken, MD
LiaPinelli.com 
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson