Be Love

In this episode, Arielle Estoria shares one of her soulful spoken word poems, we talk about society’s image of a healthy body,  her latest modelling gig for Kim Kardashian's new shareware line SKIMsand and what it means to love yourself well. You don’t want to miss the end when she speaks worth over us in spoken word, it gave me goosebumps and brought me to tears. I want every person to feel the truth of what she is speaking. Arielle’s motto “Words are not for the ears but for the soul” helps pierce the audience’s soul and blooms awareness of identity and worthiness. Her words help instill and remind individuals of their value through words. Arielle Estoria broke into  the competitive slam world of Spoken Word poetry in 2012. Arielle then branched out as a freelance contracted poet in 2015. She has shared her work through spoken word and themed keynote talks with companies such as Google, Sofar Sounds, Lululemon, Dressember, Tedx, the SKIMS campaign by Kim Kardashian and more. She has consecutively emceed ann

Have you ever wondered if you could make a difference right where you are with your gifts and talents, where you live, in your community? Today is the perfect conversation for you. Today I am talking with Chris Marlow, CEO of Help One Now an organization that empowers families in developing countries to help end extreme poverty, and author of the book, Doing Good is Simple:Making a Difference Right Where You Are, which you know is what we are all about here at Be. Love podcast.  Chris and I talk about injustice and how we can come together to listen, learn and help. We talk about the simple ways every single one of us can come alongside another in service.  Chris breaks it down for us in ways we can love others today, right where we are.    Get his book:  Doing Good is Simple: Making a Difference Right Where You Are   Instagram: chrismarlow Learn about HELP ONE NOW organization: https://helponenow.org/home/    Show notes: https://www.bestrongstory.com/be-love-podcast

As we go into summer I wanted to have on one of my favorite parents on the show to help us with some intentional parenting ideas. Jess Klasnick is a mom of three, wife to Matt, and lives in Breckenridge, Colorado. Her family had a conversation one day about what mattered to them, and the result of those conversations meant upending their current life to follow that dream. They traded the goals of having a Fortune 500 job that kept their family apart to finding a way they could spend more time together.  They sold all their possessions, saved up money, and traveled the world for a year, think “the bucket list family” and then after they decided that they still wanted to live a life of intentionality. For them that meant moving into a 2 bedroom condo in the mountains and choosing a different way to live.    Jess gives us some incredible questions to ask our family.  She gives us tips on how to prioritize our family time and she also gives us some great advice on how to dream and follow those dreams. Because bui

Today’s guest is one of the lead actors from my favorite hit show from NBC, New Amsterdam. Jocko Sims plays Dr. Floyd Reynolds in this brilliant show. He is a talented actor, (you may have seen him in the show Crash, The Last Ship) he is a  producer, incredible cook, hails from Texas, but resides in NYC. I wanted to interview someone from this show, because it is one of those shows that touches your heart. They are using their platform to talk about issues of race, healthcare, and mental health with love and compassion.    Last year I had the opportunity to travel to New York City with the Today Show Parents team and previewed the second season of New Amsterdam.  While there I met some of the staff of this NBC hit show. I had previously written a blog post about how one of the phrases Dr. Max Goodwin played by Ryan Eggold asks in each episode, “How can I help?” It impacted me in such a way that I want to live my life with that question always on my lips as I meet people. So after talking with NBC, they reache

The reason today’s podcast has this title, is because this is how our new children’s book, which launched this week, came about. About 3 years ago a friend of a friend asked me a very important question on the phone. We chat about how that question produced this book that we could have never dreamed.    My co-author Marianne Booth and I talk about the process of how this story came about. How she was inspired to write a children’s book based on the story of how a lunchbox note changed our life. We talk about our hopes and dreams for this book, and how each family can live out the message of be strong, protect the weak, love everyone.    We talk about the importance of following a prompting, knowing that it could change your life.   Get your New Children’s Book HERE www.bestrongstory.com/book

Today I talk with Abbie Mirata, the Co-Founder of live kyndly. She is a joy expert and teaches us how to exercise what she has trademarked as JOY JOINTS. She sees choosing Joy as an exercise, something we have to do daily. When your Joy Joints are strong it allows you to better deal with everyday stress, major life events, (HELLO COVID-19)!   She offers advice from the difference between joy and happiness. She describes happiness as more of a feeling based on circumstances, where Joy is defined as a VALUE to her, something that we don’t compromise even when our circumstances aren’t joyful.   She explains training our JOY JOINTS like we train our physical joints.    She gives us some practical ways of how we can strengthen our JOY by doing certain exercises; like cleansing our social media feed, things that don’t bring joy. Start small by choosing how we react to small things.  Bring others into our space and ask others for help. Train ourselves to breathe before we react.  Be empathetic  to other’s reactions.

This week we are talking to my friend Bob Cancalosi, author of Four Loop Learning, The Art of Journaling and Reflective Leadership. The premise of Bob’s philosophy is that leaders who are more reflective are truly more effective. He has learned that deliberate reflection helps leaders slow down, think deeper and implement change with enhanced precision which results in greater impact results. During his tenure at GE, Bob served in the role as Chief Learning Officer for the Healthcare Business for 7 years with responsibility for the leadership development of 60,000 global employees. Then the last 8 years of his career he was the Leader of the GE Crotonville Global Customer Education team with responsibility for the leadership development of GE’s global strategic customers and training over 5,000 customer executives annually.   Bob has been journaling for over 20 years and studying the leadership best practices from leaders in all types of industries and organizational structures in over 100 countries throughou

We love stories of optimism, perseverance, overcoming trials. We need those stories to help us overcome our own struggles. Today’s guest will encourage you. My friend Becky Canatsey has been through her fair share of trying circumstances. We talk about how a diagnosis of not one but 2 of her 3 children took them on a path they never thought they would have to walk. She talks about the fear of not being able to have control of the outcomes, how to be positive in the face of adversity, and most of all how she is teaching her girls to trust and have hope even in the hardest of uncertain times.    This podcast is so relevant to what we are facing today. Becky gives us ways to stay positive even when our mind wants to go negative. She teaches us as a mother what it looks like to be an example to our children, when you suffer.    If you have ever been through a trying time, you will want to listen to my conversation with Becky today.  Check out show notes for more.

If you know me, you know I love me a great book. Memoirs and non-fiction are my favorite. I am so giddy to have one of my favorite book authors on the show today. This book,  Same Kind of Different As Me,  changed my view on the homeless, taught me how to get out of my comfort zone and love others well. This is the book I always recommend to others when they want to open their heart and love others well.  I wanted to bring you a story of hope this week, and this is definitely that story. The book, and now a movie, is about a true story of how a Successful businessman, Ron Hall and his wife, Deborah, discover a renewed sense of purpose when they begin to volunteer at a local mission in Fort Worth, Texas. Their lives change forever when they develop an unlikely friendship with Denver Moore, a homeless man who inspires them to save their struggling marriage. This synopsis doesn’t even do it justice. You will be in awe of this story. I literally sat with my mouth wide open listening to him tell it over again.  Ro

Today’s guest is Jeremy Bedenbaugh, who is a long time friend and who also helps leaders recreate. Jeremy is the founder and CEO of Recreate Solutions, a company founded out of personal experience. Jeremy went through a very public and also private recreating of himself. He learned that vulnerability is key when it comes to being who you were created to be. He now helps leaders and companies recreate and transform. Jeremy and I have a very candid conversation about what it looks like  when you start over, when you strip off some of your protective layers we have had on us for a long time and live into our true self.  We talk about how to use some of our most trying times to heal ourselves and use what we learned to share with others. And aren’t we all in trying times right now.    Jeremy gives us some tips right now during this pandemic to evaluate who we are and who we want to be. There is no better time to look very honestly at who we are and ask ourselves is this where we need to be; am I living into who I

I wanted to have a wellness expert on here this week to help us breathe, to help us focus on the things we can control during a time that seems OUT of control.  If you have felt frazzled and all the emotions these past weeks during the Covid-19 this podcast is for you. Dr. Michelle helps us focus on the non-negotiable things we can focus on. Sleeping, eating, breathing, gratitude.    Today I am talking with Dr. Michelle Robin, an international speaker, best-selling author, radio host, and practicing chiropractor. She is the founder of Your Wellness Connection, P.A., one of the nation’s most successful integrative healing centers focusing on disciplines such as chiropractic, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, energy medicine, counseling, nutritional and wellness coaching, and movement arts. She is the Chairman of the Board of Small Changes Big Shifts®, an organization that exists to empower people to whole health through balanced daily practices and wellness providers who guide them and founder of Big Shifts F

Today my friend Jennifer, CEO of Togather Moments, a company helping families make the most out of their time together is on the podcast today.  We talk about how since Covid-19 and how quarantine has forced us as families to be together, and what that has looked like for all of us. We answer questions like: How can we be intentional in these moments so that we can take some of these times into the future?   What can we learn as families what is a priority and what isn’t?   How can we strengthen our family during this uncertain time?    What are some tangible ideas we can do together?    Jennifer gives us some great ideas if you have small to older age kiddos. She is a mom of 4 in a range of kids ages 3-12.    Take a listen today to see how we can all make the most of this time together.    Check out Jennifer’s company https://www.togathermoments.com and order one of their games to do with your family during this time!   Thank you to our sponsor Project Helping for helping families serve others well. Check ou

This week I am sharing my heart with you as we go through Covid-19 together. Most of us have been in our houses away from others for the past 2-3 weeks. We are helping protect ourselves and others by staying home.  However, one thing that has been fresh on my mind, is how do we help others when we can’t be with them? How do I talk to my kids about staying safe but also serving others in this time?   It feels like we are all in a bubble and all of us are being affected differently. Some have been affected by sickness, loss of job, uncertainty of how to make it to the next week without a paycheck, or just how to survive being in confined spaces with our kids who we are now homeschooling on the fly.    No matter how all of us are being affected, all of us have questions and lots of emotions.  In this podcast I want to share my heart on how we are talking to our kids about the Corona Virus as well as creative ways we can love others while we are in quarantine.    Can’t wait for your feedback, know that each of yo

Today I am talking with Lauren Scrugg Kennedy. Lauren is a Blogger, author and wife to Jason Kennedy. This conversation could not be more perfect timing. When all of us are feeling a little down and nervous, Lauren’s powerful story of her finding healing in a tragic experience can make us all hopeful. We talk about marriage tips and how she and Jason strengthen their marriage even though sometimes they are in the public eye. Jason is a correspondent for E news and hosts his own show called In the Room.  We talk about moving away from family to California and finding community in new places.  Lauren has a passion for helping us stay healthy with clean living. We talk about the importance of what we put in our bodies and what products we put in our home. She has a way of being so approachable and teaching us in such a gracious manner.    This conversation will lighten your heart during this hard time we are all facing right now. You won’t want to miss this episode.    To learn more about Lauren go to our show n

This week I talked with Joanna Waterfall, Founder of Yellow Co. a community of women creating meaningful work. She is the guru of helping others find community. So much so that she started a company based on others finding each other and their shared passions.  Joanna and I talk about how we were all made for the community, how to find it, and why it matters. We discuss how hard it can be, how we can be a society that can be socially connected but lonely at the same time. She gives us advice on how to be vulnerable and take the risk to find those who will do life with you.    Another thing at which she excels is teaching us how to create meaningful work. Yellow Co. defines work as creating meaning in this world and making sure what you do aligns with you. A huge part in that is knowing yourself, so you can lead not only yourself but others.   We talk about our own struggles of identity and worthiness and how to find our wholeness so we can help others find theirs.    This is a conversation that will encourage

Most of us know what’s important in our life, but does the time we spend on them reflect this? If you looked at how we lived our life, would people know what was really important to you? Would your life reflect your priorities?   Today I have my friend Kyle Barger, founder of Make a Day, on the podcast. He started serving others out of the success of his company. Something that started as a small opportunity to love others has turned into a non-profit that serves the homeless in Ohio.    Here are some of the main takeaways from our conversation: Anyone can serve another by using their time, talents, and treasure.  We also talk about Kyle completely shifting his priorities and how he did that.  Learn how Kyle did this and how we all can shift our priorities to what really matters.    If you want to get clear on what should matter in your life and how to make the right things  important, you will love this conversation.    Join me as I chat with my old friend and teammate about what matters, how to make it a

I love talking about things that are inspiring to me, something that I am learning, something that was an AHA moment for me.  And one of those things I am working on right now is being present in me.  Not scrolling my phone when I am bored or lonely, or adding something to my day that doesn’t really need to be there because I can’t just be still. But I am focusing on  just being present, noticing things around me; the beauty, the sounds, the gift of that moment.  We live in a world where we are bombarded with stimulus at ALL hour, minutes, seconds of the day.  Today’s podcast I give some specific ways I am trying to BE more present, to be more at home with myself.  If you find yourself feeling cluttered or you can’t free up space in your mind, check out this short episode and try some of the things that are helping me right now.  For more show notes and how to start family coaching with us head over to www.bestrongstory.com where we go over topics that help strengthen your family and the community you live in

Have you ever felt like you wanted to do something but didn’t feel qualified? Maybe you had a dream you wanted to go after but you didn’t feel like you were smart enough or had enough experience to succeed? Today we are talking to Kate Crocco, she is a licensed therapist+mindset and confidence coach and author of her new book “Thinking Like A Boss,” which you can now get on Amazon or anywhere books are provided. She is also is a mama to two little girls who keep her busy. I love picking her brain of how she is able to get the things she wants accomplished while loving her family well.    We talk about what to do when we feel unqualified, how to put practices in our life to practice our confidence, how to look at saying NO differently.    This episode is one you can think about your entire life. With tangible tools from her therapy practice, Kate teaches us to go for our dreams, gives us the freedom to help others go after theirs, and to set up boundaries in our life so we can say YES to the things that are im

Today’s guest is Hoda Melki. Hoda is from Beirut, Lebanon and lives there with her husband. They both founded Heart for Lebanon which is a non-profit that provides help to refugees. The trip that forever changed my life is the one I took to Beirut. To see first hand the refugees’ story, to sit with them on their floor as they tell of atrocities, and to see Heart for Lebanon come alongside in their pain was amazing.    Hoda grew up in a worn- torn country and tells about her experience. For those of us who can’t fathom this life, this is a podcast you need to listen to. We talk about ultimate forgiveness, what it looks like to forgive those who have wanted to harm you. We talk about love on an entirely different level and what it truly looks like to love someone who is suffering.  We talk about what it looks like now in the Middle East.   The one thing I love so much is conversing about how we can live in different parts of the world but our hearts can be so similar, and our pain and suffering can be universal

Today my guest is Mica May, founder and CEO of May Designs. You have seen her beautiful designs at Target. In this conversation we talk about finding our creativity in our own way, asking others for help in the areas we aren’t gifted in, and how to connect with others who are going through similar situations.    Mica has a successful business that she started by solving a problem for herself and her friends. She also is a part of the “Lucky Few” parents who have a child with down syndrome. We talk about what it  was like to find a community that understood what they were going through as parents.    My favorite part is the last question, when Mica talks about connecting with her kids 5 minutes a day by just looking in their eyes and being present. This has been a game changer for me, I have been doing this with my kids. Don’t miss the last 5 minutes of our conversation of how to connect with our kids and our loved ones.    4:15-8:16: The story of how Mica May started her company 11:15: Don’t be afraid to ask