The Power of Presence: An Interfaith Conversation With Reverend Kate

“When you come to the edge of all the light you have and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for you to stand on - or you will be taught how to fly.”

This quote by Patrick Overton is at the heart of my conversation this week with The Rev. Dr. Kate Cress. 

The times we live in provide ample opportunities for stress, worry, and anxiety. 

Amidst it all - how do we find presence? 

How do we cease the regrets of the past and the worries of the future, and just be here in this moment?

These are questions that those on the spiritual path have reflected upon for ages. 

For Rev. Kate, Christianity offers her insights and practice through which she can discover her highest self. 

For me, that pathway is through Islam. 

Together in this conversation we explore the ways our religious and spiritual practice fuel each other and provide us with a blueprint for awakening. 

This has to be one of my favorite interfaith conversations I’ve ever had. 

Rev. Kate asked some really great questions that allowed me to reflect upon my spirituality in a new way.  

The answers and insights we uncovered together really had me saying, “YES!”

This is a really cup-filling episode. 

Wherever you are entering this conversation from, I know you will be enriched by it. 

Do yourself this favor. 

Hit play. :) 

You can learn more about Rev. Kate here.

Listen to "The Power of Presence: An Interfaith Conversation With Reverend Kate" on Spreaker.

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7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)

Whenever I play the “what superpower would you pick” game - my answer is always: to speak every language in existence.

If I could choose a superpower it would be to speak every language in existence.

Imagine being able to effectively communicate with every single person on the planet.

This usually sets me up nicely for the joke, “well Tom, you can barely effectively communicate in English, why don’t you start there.”

Cue the laughter. 

Whether you are a marketer, activist, creative, educator or you’re just living your daily life - the ability to communicate with influence has a huge impact on our lives.

Negation is a particular form of communication that carries a lot of stress, and sometimes even baggage.

Usually you’re negotiating in stressful situations, and for many people it may even feel that you are in an unbalanced relationship within the negotiation.

While the ability to negotiate is such a crucial skill, most of us are never given any formal training in negotiation.

At the heart of negotiation is empathy, active listening and relationship building.

This is certainly contrary to the stereotype of what we think of when we think of negotiations.

Another misconception is that the tools of negotiation aren’t particularly complex or tricky.

Like all things they do require practice to hone your skill but the concepts can be grasped fairly quickly.

On this week's episode, we are going to explore 7 core negotiation strategies. 

This episode originally aired a few years ago. 

And so, I can share that I’ve received many emails from folks on how this episode really had a huge impact on their lives.

We’re going to explore ways to use negation beyond business as well as within your personal life and relationships.

I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is! 

Enjoy! 

Listen to "7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Coloring and Conversations With Antoinette Chanel

Have you heard that coloring can reduce stress and anxiety? 

When I listen in on conference calls, I often find myself coloring. 

This helps me stay focused, and allows me to really concentrate. 

So when my awesome friend, Antoinette Chanel, shared with me that she’d like to color together while having a conversation, I was all in. 

In early 2020, before the pandemic, before my daughter arrived, and before the many, many other things that happened this year…

...we did just that.  

We sat down for a conversation while coloring. 

It was amazing – and listening back to our chat was like looking into a fun time capsule. I got a glimpse into where my mind was at during this time in my life. 

Antoinette and I talked about relationships, business, politics, life, and a ton of other topics. If any of these draw you in, you’re going to like this episode.

Antoinette Chanel is a powerful storyteller, educator, and podcaster. With a unique background that includes over a decade of work in higher education, marketing, and public relations, Antoinette can translate, map out, and put in motion tangible plans to help you and your organization reach its goals. 

She is the founder of the podcast the Midday Reset (@themiddayreset), which she created to offer something uplifting and relatable to people with mental illness, specifically anxiety. She is also an educator and public speaker and is currently developing a workshop series to empower dark-skinned women and girls to redefine beauty for themselves.

This is a really great episode where you get to see me switch hats and be interviewed by someone I really admire and appreciate. 

Pull out something to color with.

And then hit play! 

You can get in touch with Antoinette on IG @msantoinettechanel or themdrpodcast@gmail.com, and purchase her book here: Amazon.com

Listen to "Coloring and Conversations With Antoinette Chanel" on Spreaker.

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Mastering Logistics & Time Management

On this week’s episode, we talk about the importance of logistics and time management. As artists and entrepreneurs, we need to strengthen this skill set so that we can get our gifts out into the world smoothly and seamlessly.

We’ll be discussing how you can set yourself up for success with tips on developing a growth mindset and how having a handle on the logistics required for business and daily life will help to reduce stress and anxiety.

When we’re better organized we can work from a position of strength rather than from a reactive place. 

I hope you enjoy this week’s episode! 

For the time management course I mention in this episode, please click here.

Listen to "Mastering Logistics & Time Management" on Spreaker.

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.