Podcast – Vroom Vroom Veer with Jeff Smith

Colleen Budde – Build your Work around your Life and Family

By YooperSmith | August 3, 2026

Colleen Budde is an entrepreneur, business owner, and former mechanical engineer who left a successful corporate career to build a life centered on flexibility, family, and meaningful work. After working in the automotive and defense industries, she and her husband purchased a business and began the transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship.

Today, Colleen owns multiple businesses, including a coworking space, consulting practice, and e-commerce brand. She is passionate about financial discipline, sustainable business growth, leadership, and helping people build lives that align with their values rather than external expectations.

As a mother of three young children, including twins, Colleen speaks openly about career transitions, burnout, identity shifts, entrepreneurship, and the realities of balancing ambition with family life. Her perspective combines practical business experience with an honest look at what it means to redefine success and create a life that genuinely fits.

Colleen Budde VroomVroom Veer Show Summary

Former test engineer Colleen Budde left her $140k corporate career to build a life centered on flexibility, family, and purpose. In this episode, she breaks down her journey from corporate employee to coworking franchise owner, why business growth shouldn’t become a new jail cell, and how to design a business around the lifestyle you actually want.

Connect with Colleen

https://www.buddeconsultinggroup.com

Office Evolution

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Myron Welik – The Jackhammer Effect

By YooperSmith | October 30, 2023

Myron Welik says:

In 2002, I lost my Multi-Million Dollar business in a catastrophic way, leaving me paralyzed with self-doubt and depression.

However, I kept going and 16 years later I successfully reinvented myself. I am known as “The Jackhammer” and have been in the business of making deals happen for 40 years. I am the host of the Jackhammer Effect podcast and author of the “Jackhammer Effect.” My insatiable drive and resilience have been a hallmark of my long and successful career.

Moreover – I identified and brokered the deal that brought Heidi Klum and New Balance together, leading to the creation of the HKNB brand. I pitched products of my own design on the Home Shopping Network to 40 million viewers. In addition – I have negotiated strategic partnerships with well-known brands such as the New England Patriots, Lacoste, FIFA, Madison Square Gardens, Radio City Music Hall, and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Myron Welik Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Another random life changing moment at a business networking event, Myron was there and another real estate investor who should really be there is there–he helped Myron re-invent himself and his business

Was working with Heidi Klum’s people after she had a baby she was looking for new opportunities, this was when female athletic apparel was booming with Lulu Lemon

Myron suggested he reach out to New Balance to she if there were interested in working with Heidi–they create the HKNB line

Was working with Seal who was looking for opportunities during lockdown, Myron was able to set up a zoom meeting with Seal and the Patriots marketing team

During the tech boom there was a map app that was looking to sign companies in New York city to be on there map app; Myron got Madison Square Gardens, Radio City Music Hall and and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum

In 2002, I lost my Multi-Million Dollar business in a catastrophic way, left him paralyzed with self-doubt and depression; thankfully his wife supported through his struggles

Totally random life changing moment while on line at for a Taxi at La Guardia airport in New York City, she’s a beautiful woman and he talks to her–later they get married

Connections

Linkedin Profile

Instagram Profile

The Jackhammer Effect Book

The Jackhammer Effect Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Liz Benditt – 5-time Cancer Survivor turned “Cancer-Prenuer”

By YooperSmith | October 23, 2023

Liz Benditt is a 5-time cancer survivor turned “cancer-prenuer”. After muddling through four different cancers (Breast #2/2022, Breast #1/2017, Basel Cell/2015, Thyroid/2010, and Melanoma/2009) she knows a thing or two about what it is like to be a working mom and patient, undergo painful surgeries and treatments, and receive so many well-meaning but useless gifts. (e.g. Kicking Cancer Tote Bags, Breast Warrior t-shirts, worry stones, over-cooked lasagnas…)

In Fall of 2020, Liz transitioned from corporate marketing executive to mission-driven entrepreneur by channeling my personal experience into launching TheBalmBox.com. We interviewed over 500 patients and caregivers to curate functional care packages for cancer patients.

Liz was featured on NBC, USA Today, Medium, and Yahoo News. She was named a #WomanOfAction by the Susan G. Komen Foundation of KSWMO and was their keynote speaker at their Pink Power Luncheon as well as an award-winning finalist from the Amber Grant Foundation. She’s been a featured guest on a long list of podcasts including, Pieces of a Woman, In The Rising, and Love Shack Live (podcast and live radio broadcast).

Liz Benditt Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Born in California, moved briefly to the Chicago area went to High School in Pennsylvania; she was already into sports including gymnastics so she joined the varsity cheerleader squad

Studied mass communication at Boston College for her undergrad; learned how to communicate be articulate and tell a story

Realized she enjoyed the business side of marketing more than the creative side; got her MBA and really focused on using data to drive business and creative decision through testing and surveys

Did her Honeymoon in Costa Rica and a very remote resort; after she flew into the country got on a single engine aircraft to fly to the resort

Visited Paris twice and stood in line to see the Mona Lisa both times; on the first trip with 6 other 20 something girlfriends one friend said “Let’s go see the HO and then get a cocktail”

Employee #3 at Bluetooth! Helped to make sure as many companies as possible would support Bluetooth; got to travel all over the world

Fall of 2020, transitioned from corporate marketing to mission-driven entrepreneur by channeling my personal experience into TheBalmBox.com. We interviewed over 500 patients and caregivers to curate functional care packages for cancer patients

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Chris Marshall – How to De-Stress with the Pause, Play, Move Method

By YooperSmith | October 16, 2023

Chris Marshall is a transformative voice in leadership, resilience, and business strategy. With an aim to prepare individuals and teams for a disruptive tomorrow. Chris draws from his diverse experiences in behavioural science, professional foresight, and global macro strategy. Through his talks, he offers insights that are not just profound but also actionable, paving the way for a future-ready mindset.Chris has a varied background, from being a youth athlete to being high functioning autistic with a divergent mindset in a neurotypical world, to setting up an international award-winning distillery as a side hustle. He has many stories of vrooming and veering in his life including: burnout, divorce, being the head of global strategy for a fund manager, becoming a breathwork coach to ongoing research as a professional futurist and behavioural scientist specialising in decision-making in fast-paced complex environments. He is also the author of the book Decoding Change, a book that seeks to help people better the rapid changes we’re seeing all around us.

Chris Marshall Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Snowdonia in Whales in the UK in the Moutains (don’t say hills!) which is a rich, lush, green mountain wonderland with hundreds of castles

Fell in love with skiing at the age of 7 and was a competive ski racer in his teens; worked with a famous sport pychologist to work on his mental game, visualizations and reducing anxiety

His burnout came around when he was working on Pause, Play, Move method–he ended up in the hospital; he had to learn how to really pause and play to releive the stress

The pause in PPM is about just giving yourself a break to rest and reset and bring down your stress level; breath work, diet, getting enough sleep all contribute to that calm joyful state

Playfulness is a state that doesn’t concern itself with outcomes; bay leaf in Gin? Sure let’s try it…tastes like medicine so NO..but that’s ok, now you know that it doesn’t work

Move almost takes care of itself if you are able to Pause and find that comfortable, calm, joyful state, and after you played with your problems your are already moving

Wanted to start a brewery but found out that he had a gluten intolerence (I think I said Lactose…opps! That’s ok, I was playing) so Chris create a distillery instead

After discovering amazing gin in Bruges, Belgium wanted to make a gin from Whales where the best water and botanicals exist on the planet

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Elizabeth Pearson Garr – Writer/Producer; Local TV news Anchor…Now Podcaster Producer/Host

By YooperSmith | October 2, 2023

Elizabeth Pearson Garr created, hosts and produces the podcast, “What It’s Like To…” She has degrees from Harvard and Stanford, and has worked as a writer/producer for the TV Food Network, PBS, and E! Entertainment; an anchor/reporter for the NBC affiliate in Billings, MT; and as a documentary filmmaker.

Elizabeth took about 15 years out of the paid workforce to be with her kids and volunteer in their schools and our community. Getting back in the working world (and starting her own business in my early 50s) has been an interesting journey, not just for me, but also for my family (don’t underestimate the shift in dynamics that occurs when a former stay-at-home mom no longer has time for everyone’s needs and desires!).

Elizabeth Pearson Garr Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Palo Alto California and her parents were a professor (dad) and a principle (mom)

Went to Harvard and studied literature and history; she really loved writing and wanted to write about food; so she went to culinary school to get some chops and cred

There was a new TV network in New York called the Television Food Network; she called someone to say she would be in New York and would like to talk to someone about working there; she got the job

Her dream job was to work on camera; was bold enough to reach out to Diane Sawyer and got a call back and a meeting; Diane told her if you want to work on camera you have to work in a smaller market

Was a weekend news anchor in Billings MT for about 2 years; was told that she didn’t have “it”; but when she got the hair and makeup done suddenly she had “IT”; she learned she didn’t want to work on camera after all

Briefly had a executive job with Fox TV in LA with a butler asking her if she needed anything; she didn’t really know what she was supposed to do and there was zero direction; the quit was mutual

Started the “What it’s like to…” podcast to interview people of all walks of life to get their stories; lets you vicariously experience intriguing things you may never get the chance to do

Connections

Podcast Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Joe Bains – Biohacking, Keto, Fasting, Ice Bath, Wim Hof, Tantra

By YooperSmith | September 25, 2023

Joe Bains does Keto, Intermittent fasting, fasting, Biohacking, Wim Hof (Breathwork), Cold showers/baths, Pranayama, Yoga, Calisthenics, Light Therapy, Peptides ,etc, etc.He’s a standup comedian – having performed at Brighton, Henley and Edinburgh Fringes, around other UK venues and abroad. Joe completely destroyed his health and became disabled for 6 months with diabetes type 2. The hospitals couldn’t help him and finally discharged him. He needed 24/7 care; putting him to bed, changing his clothes, showering him and taking him to the toilet. He then spent the next 3 years rebuilding his body and health from the inside out and made himself able bodied again.

Joe was so successful at this, that now aged 55, Joe is at his healthiest and has boundless energy, more than he ever had even in his 30’s.

Joe Bains Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Born in India and moved to the UK when he was still pretty young; really wanted to fit it in school

Learned English by age 15 but really wanted to sound “English” spent the next 10 years perfecting his English accent

Changed his name to Joe Bains and removed all references to his being from India and the world of work opened up; people just love the English accent everywhere

Really loves psychedelics (all of them) for therapeutic and spiritual practices

Got his own ice bath in his Garden (aka Backyard in the states) and noticed a big difference when the water was 6 degrees C and the length of time was 20+ minutes

Has been eating full time Keto for 10 years (wow) has eliminated all junk food (oh no!)

His longest fast was 21 days but also does regular intermittent fasting which can be just a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs

Connections

https://joebains.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Amber Tariq – What is most True for Me is this Moment

By YooperSmith | September 18, 2023

Amber Tariq “I am a physician turned depth coach, focusing on high achievers, turning life from driven and ambitious to “What is most true for me, in this moment?” Which does not mean being unambitious, but asks for breaking stereotypes and culturally approved narrow definitions of success.

Amber Tariq Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Has a great memory for most things but doesn’t remember her childhood before age 12; at that age she decided she needed to be MUST BE an independent person in every way

Loved school! Really enjoyed learning and studing for exams and over-achieving in school

Always an introvert and had diffcult making friends and connecting with people; but found that once she was in a group of friends and co-worker she could be the entertainer of the group

Became an MD and practiced in Pakistan and moved to the states at age 30; did all the cerifications to practice medicine all while she was pregnant

At some point she started to question why was she an over achiever and also realized that she was human and needed to take care of her self and her body and she might need help with that

Read 70 books in a year (doesn’t everybody?) started with pop psychology and then went deeper; did a Jungian coaching certifcation

Brings her new insights of psychology and coaching to reach out to students, friends, co-workers and patients was learned how to connect with people and really she them as people7

Connections

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Craig Thayer – Find the Miracles in your Life

By YooperSmith | September 11, 2023

Craig Thayer: His destiny was mapped before he was even born. Being put up for adoption at birth and finding his family at nine months was just the start of his unorthodox journey. Craig battled a reading disorder that went undiagnosed until he was fifty-five years old. Despite that and numerous other challenges, the calling in his heart to become a surgeon grew louder and louder.

It didn’t quiet when he suffered a twisted intestine, witnessed his adopted mother’s alcohol problem, grieved her death when he was just eighteen, healed from a skull fracture in college, agonized over his adopted father’s fight for his life, and struggled to find his self-esteem. Through adversity, he has become a well-respected surgeon, head of trauma, community leader, and forever a jokester. The miracles that touched his life were his saving grace and shined a light on his purpose.

Craig’s intent in sharing his stories are to give you hope, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. His passion is to inspire and motivate others to live their life to the fullest. We are all more alike than we know. Craig is the best-selling author of SAVED: One Trauma Surgeon’s True Accounts of the Miracles in His Life. In this memoir, you can hear many of his inspiring stories.

Craig Thayer Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

His grandma, (known to his kids as Gigi) encouraged him to write a book for 15 years–later we went to a business training with famous people who didn’t know him who also encouraged him to write a book about his struggles through adversity and his faith

Blessed to be a orphan; his natural mother was in Michigan and was not married and starting to show and was engaged but not in the church long enough; mom moved to California long enough to have Craig and get him baptized at a local church before giving him to an orphanage

His adopted mom was born in Ireland and she had an Irish temper and struggled with alcoholism; she made Craig and Empath; he went to his first AA meeting at age 11 and heard testimony of all the participants

One man from AA named John had killed a kid while drunk driving and Craig reminded John of that kid that he had killed

Landed on general surgery in med school because at that time he would learn how to treat a person from head to toe; he really wanted to know how to perform a Tracheostomy

When he went to do medical missionary work he would often need assistance from non-medical folks; he always advised people to let him know if they felt light headed or just uncomfortable because people can pass out and hurt themselves

Jeff shares way too much detail about passing out which doctor’s call Vasovagal syncope; that started in Air Force Basic training as a needle phobia

We talk about how tall men (at least 6’4″) earn 15K more for every inch over 6 feet; Male leaders tend to be tall with large hands; that same group also tends to pass out more often

Connections

Website

Vasovagal syncope

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dr. Jenny Quartano – Everyday Wellcare for Women, Children and the Whole Family

By YooperSmith | September 4, 2023

Dr. Jenny Quartano — Shortly after beginning her private practice as a pediatric physical therapist, Dr. Quartano found herself in an unexpectedly challenging personal situation that led her to a place of focusing the lifestyle factors she could control to manage her health and continue to show up every day for her patients—without medications, aches, pains, or fatigue that seemed to be what the traditional medical model offered. Through this experience, she found a passion and training in functional medicine so she could help other families undergoing the same. She doesn’t subscribe to common symptoms being normal or deteriorating health being a symptom of age and seeks to help other women find their best self to be the best mom, wife, professional or athlete they desire to be.

As families continue to seek alternate healthcare solutions outside the traditional clinic, All Together Wellness has seen a huge demand from the community to meet their needs in new ways. Dr. Quartano has curated a team to create a village of support for our All Together women and children in helping them thrive! Our team shares a vision of creating an experience for families where help is provided when and where you need it in a way that minimizes the burden and intrusion in your day to day rhythm but rather works with your family’s needs the way health and wellness support should.

Dr. Jenny Quartano Vroom Vroom Veer

Grew up outside of Green Bay Wisconsin (GO PACK!) pretty much knew two facts when she was young 1) She would move away from Wisconsin 2) Be a Doctor; we both grew up in the Packerland in the “Frozen Tundra” and love to back to visit in the summer and for Christmas

Did some grad school in Florida and decided the Sun and the beach beats the Frozen Tundra

After she started her private practice, she was feeling sick, tired, and her doctor told her nothing was wrong; being a doctor she knew something else was going on; she also saw the women she worked with in her practice didn’t have enough energy to live a healthy happy life

She joined a gym with a friend and challenge with together with work out everyday, meditation/stretchy, big diet restrictions (not fun), had to schedule and sleep 8 hours a night–amazed herself with how much better she felt

We compare notes on our health journies; cleaning up our diets, finding all the hidden sugar in packaged and junk food (it’s everywhere!); Jeff in his 30’s experienced pain when trying to stand up long enough to brew beer (about 3 hours); now he prefers a stand up desk to sitting

Dr. Jenny noticed that as a group health care works (nurses, therapists) are overworked, with high stress levels and eat junk on the run; Dr. Jenny agrees as a group they are not great at self care

She came from a background of Pediatric Physical Therapist-she spent a lot of time teaching parents about healthy eating as well as healthy parents; the vision was to have a one-stop shop for families with kids

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Michaelbrent Collings -Become Your Own Best Story

By YooperSmith | August 28, 2023

Michaelbrent Collings is an international bestseller and screenwriter. Best known for horror (named as one of Rankers top 20 All-Time Greatest Horror Writers), he’s also a multiple Bram Stoker Award and Dragon Award finalist and the creator of BestsellerLife.com, where you’ll find the best writing, publishing, and marketing instruction around.

Michaelbrent Collings Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

As a kid he was kinda smart and kinda small which brought about a Napoleon Complex with no power–resulting in him being a jerk and having no friends

McC got tired of not having friends, so he asked his Mom how to make friends; his mom taught him how to be nice and make friends;

His Dad was a creative writer and his house was full of books; he was also the a world class expert on Stephen King; so Michaelbrent had an early entry into the world of stories

Because he spent most of his childhood as kinda of Jerk he thought he might be good at arguing; so he became a lawyer

His wife got sick and he got sick and he could no longer keep up with the lawyer partner gig and take care of himself and his wife; he was politely asked to divest from the partnership

He had been writing and not publishing for about 10 years by that point; there was this new thing called Kindle were he could publish his books without all that publishing house stuff

He is mostly known as a horror author but he writes in all genres and mixes them up as well

Bestseller Life is a new course to help writers learn how to write, publish and make a living from your writing

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Laura Oldanie – Money and Lifestyle Choices for a Regenerative Future

By YooperSmith | August 21, 2023

Laura Oldanie is a green living & money coach, who helps reluctant capitalists achieve financial resilience on a climate challenged planet.Laura is a self-employed green living and money coach living her dream life in a small Florida beach town. Laura previously lived in DC where she worked for a couple of different education non-profits. Before settling in DC She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland and also worked in our U.S. Embassy there by winning a State Department Fellowship after grad school. These days Laura works from home, regularly attends yoga on the beach, and rides her bike as my main form of transportation.

Laura Oldanie Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Flint Michigan, at age 12 she was diagnosed with scoliosis and had to wear body brace; she was already struggling to fit it

She was drawn to hang out with with the other kids who were outsiders; she made friends with several international exchange students; she was fascinated with people from other countries and cultures

Got to backpack in Europe; veered off from the group to visit a friend in France and was lucky enough to actually meet up with them without email/cell phones even though they got the train schedule mixed up

After college worked with the Peace Corps in Poland where she picked up some Polish language skills which would come in handy for her next job with a State Department Fellowship after Grad School

Loves public transportation and ended up living and working in the DC area for two different non-profits; the last job she had she loved but the travel requirement became too much

What is “Slow Money”; how to rethink how we invest our money in more regenerative ways; Laura found ways to use a self-directed IRA to invest in local farms/businesses/non-profits; make money (slowly) while being aligned with the concepts of Permaculture (theNextEgg/WeFunder)

What is an Earthship? The key points are the heating and cooling are passive (free) the water is used 4 times before it leaves the house; much better than paying almost $900 electric bill in the Las Vegas heat

Connections

Website

Instagram

The Next Egg https://www.thenextegg.org/

WeFunder https://wefunder.com/

Seed Invest https://www.startengine.com/seedinvest

Slow Money https://slowmoney.org/

Permaculture and Money https://www.richandresilientliving.com/permaculture-money/

EarthShips https://www.earthshipglobal.com/about-us

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Mark Aylward – Career Advice that Doesn’t Suck

By YooperSmith | August 14, 2023

Mark Aylward has over 30 years experience in the technical staffing space as an owner/operator. He generated over $75 million in revenue and have created 4 millionaires–maybe more. He built and sold 2 multi million dollar companies and hired and trained hundreds of salespeople and recruiters.

He found work for all three of his young adult children out of school and then helped them all start their own companies online.

Mark also got sole custody of my 3 children representing himself in his divorce (he is not an attorney).

More recently Mark transitioned into coaching in the career transition field.

Mark Aylward Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Winchester, MA near Boston; spent the summers on his bike riding around and didn’t go home till dinner time; no cell phones and no parents around

His High School guidance counselor told him to get a business degree and work for a big company so he did; he got a job in marketing and went to work for Met Life in Chicago

Didn’t love selling insurance B2B; when he was looking for what was next he met this guy from Australia who was a recruiter for petrochemical engineers to work in Saudi Arabia; he made 100K per recruit

So, Mark go into the tech staffing business; that was all awesome until his divorce; ended up losing the business and all his money but kept the most important thing–he got sole custody of his kids

Filled both roles of Mom and Dad and was there for all the kids events; that was a silver lining of divorce

Now he is working on creating a course to help people with “what’s next” in life and and work/business

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Chase Chewning – Learning to Grieve, Dealing with PTSD and Re-Learning How to Walk (twice)

By YooperSmith | August 7, 2023

Chase Chewning is a Virginia native and Army veteran. Chase is a Virginia Commonwealth University alum, graduating from their Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science undergraduate program in 2013. Having completed his MS in Health Promotion from American University in Washington, DC and has been an ACE Certified Health Coach since 2015.Living a life of wellness has always been a part of him – since growing up eating fresh food from his grandparents’ garden, playing baseball throughout school and enjoying time in the mountains surrounding his family’s southwest VA home.After six years of active duty, Chase was medically discharged from the military due a string of injuries that ultimately required him to have bilateral reconstructive hip surgeries. After learning how to walk again—twice—exercise as medicine and healthy lifestyle modifications became his passion.Chase currently resides in Los Angeles, California.He has been a featured guest on such podcasts as Mind Pump, The Darin Olien Show, Don’t Be Sour, Kreatures of Habit, Live Through Love, Fitness CEO and Endless Endeavor.His podcast, Ever Forward Radio, launched in 2017 and has surpassed 3 MILLION total downloads and is consistently a top-ranked Health & Fitness and Self-Help show on Apple Podcasts, also a top .5% globally ranked podcast.

Chase Chewning Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in a small village in Virginia running around in the woods; around 12 his parents moved to Roanoke to be closer to the new family business

Chase started in a new private Christian school which was not fun at the time but his parents didn’t like the public schools in the area; turn out to be a good idea

Decided to follow the family legacy and joined the Army; got a nice signing bonus to be a military linguist; he barely squeaked by in High School Spanish but did it anyway (thanks Mrs. Clark!)

While in Defense Language Institute working on his Army Tech School, he had to take emergency leave to visit his father who was dying of ALS; went back to school and just buried that grief and trauma

Before that, he was trying to get out of the Army to be with his Dad as much as possible; he was doing the paperwork for a “Hardship Discharge”; his dad talked him out that idea

During a field exercise wearing 100+ lbs of body armor and backpack gear; he torn his hamstring; he fell down and thought he got shot with a live round; that led to his medical retirement from the Army

After 12 years he started showing very serious symptoms of PTSD and his wife said he needed to get help or he would be letting her down; getting help for her changed his whole mindset towards getting that help

Connections

Website

Instagram

Youtube

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Brigitte Cutshall – Empowers People to Thrive

By YooperSmith | July 31, 2023

Brigitte Cutshall is an unabashed health advocate. Her goal is to “empower others not just to survive, but thrive,” and encourages to focus on what’s important to find your inner strength.

Brigitte is the founder of Gemini Media, host of Real Things Living Podcast, a Health Advocate and focuses on delivering the best solutions to her clients. She’s an accomplished business development professional in the communications, publishing and print management industry.

One of Brigitte’s goals is to “empower others from just surviving to thriving” and participates in wellness events. She’s a speaker and the author of three books – RealThings: 6 Ways to Embrace Life , Expecting the Good: Inspiration from a Badass with a Big Heart , and Quality Book Formula – and successfully develops content for wellness and healthy lifestyles, resulting in being featured as a contributing writer on HuffingtonPost, DrLaura.com, Intent.com, Wellness.com, Sharecare.com, and TheMomiverse.
from brigittecutshall.com

Brigette Cutshall Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up all over and was a military brat; Dad #1 had PTSD from Vietnam and divorced mom; Stepdad was so awesome she wrote a whole about how awesome he was

Couldn’t wait to get out of Southern Georgia, to hot and humid; went to college in Wisconsin and and discovered the mosquitos were very big and loved to bite her; landed in northern Georiga

Trailed blazed as a woman and got a marketing job after starting as a admin assistance, advanced to product manager and eventually got in business development

Cancer #1 was breast cancer got treatment and thought that was over; later discovered a rare tumor in her brain that no doctor knew anything about; looks like it may have been from exposure to radiation

The breast cancer came back later and she needed surgery this time; learned she couldn’t handle dairy or caffeine; always loved veggies, chicken and fish

Loves walking and running in nature because it’s fun! The 3 pillars are movement, nutrition and rest which includes good sleeping habits but there is more to finding a restful life rhythm

Started her own business to help people write their own books and repurpose what content they already create

Connections

brigettecutshall.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jason Bahamundi – Helping Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary

By YooperSmith | July 24, 2023

Jason Bahamundi is the Founder of Run Tri Bike, a multimedia platform that is the voice of the everyday athlete. He started this company to show people a spot at the starting line for everybody and every body because endurance sports are a great way to find life in your life.

At Run • Tri • Bike, we’re passionate about endurance sports and the incredible individuals who participate in them. We believe that anyone, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical abilities, can find a place at the starting line. Through inspiring stories of athletes from diverse backgrounds, we aim to break down barriers and prove that endurance sports are for everybody and every body.

We’re here to guide and support you on your own endurance sports journey. Our goal is simple: to help you embrace the fun, excitement, and personal growth that these sports offer. Through captivating stories, insightful tips, and engaging content, we aim to demystify endurance sports and show you that they’re not just for elite athletes.

The athletes featured on our website have faced obstacles that could have prevented them from moving forward but instead kept showing up. Some of them are recovering from alcohol and drug abuse. Others are mothers coming back from pregnancy and still others are just getting started.

What you will find are athletes, like us, who are ordinary people doing the extraordinary.
from runtrimag.com

Jason Bahamundi Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in the Bronx and played all the sports in school (baseball, football, basketball); also hung out with a diverse group of kids

Went to college in upstate New York near Canada; the marketing was great because they bring in kids for tours in the spring only to find out later that the snow comes in October

He knew he wanted to major in business but no quite sure which degree; the accounting book was really thick but the marketing book looked pretty thin—marketing!

Lived in a frat house and had sort of an “Animal House” sort of college experience; painted the basement floor red and then had a party down there before the paint was dry

Had a job bartering old inventory from companies (like black and decker drills) for advertising time on TV; what the TV stations did with the drills was not his concern

He got voluntold to do a half Marathon and did it with out really training; he finished but realized he didn’t train enough

Jason prefers the 100 mile race to the 5k race because you get more time to enjoy the experience; by the way you don’t run the whole 100 miles, there is some walking/sleeping/hiking in there as well

Believes that anyone, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical abilities, can find a place at the starting line

Connections

RunTriMag.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Katrina Foe – Science-Backed Way To Transform your Health Naturally

By YooperSmith | July 17, 2023

Katrina Foe is a board certified holistic nutritionist, who knows that when we look at health, we should be looking at the body as a whole. After overcoming her own cancer 100% naturally, and driven by her core belief that the body can heal itself, Katrina went on to become board certified in holistic nutrition and trained to read functional labs.

As a faculty member at Restorative Wellness Solutions, Katrina teaches practitioners to interpret functional labs and design individualized protocols. Katrina is also a certified Metabolic Approach to Cancer practitioner, having been trained and mentored by Dr. Nasha Winters. Katrina’s approach to cancer addresses the root cause of the disease and empowers clients to keep it in remission without living in fear of recurrence.

In her international bestseller, Nutritional Pilates, Katrina offers a framework for whole body health that casts light on potential obstacles that can obstruct wellbeing, while providing proven strategies to sidestep chronic disease.

Katrina Foe Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Scottsdale AZ and was an academic nerd and also into movement and dance; went to college for Dance and Kinesiology

Discovered a lump on her breast after having a child, was not interested in the chemo/radiation treatment options

Went to one of those nutritional cancer treatment centers in Mexico to treat the cancer; she had many questions about the treatment that the doctors did not have answers instead she was asked to “trust the system” – no thanks, she left

Kept going and found natural methods to treat her cancer and was able to become cancer free; she went all in and moved to Idaho and made all there food even raised their own cows

There is only one diet that can help you kill cancer and that is keto; Cancer cells require LOTS of glucose thrive and grow; the keto diet switches your body into ketosis using fat for energy instead of glucose and also starves cancer cells

Some of the most overlooked causes of cancer are toxics in our environment; all but one client screened positive for mold; one client was exposed to benzene for a car exhaust leaking into the driving compartment

Insurance based medicine only screens for a few big possible cancers (coloscopy, mammogram, check for enlarged prostate; only most zero blood screens for cancer

Connections

nutritionalpilates.com

designedforhealth.net

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Anna Zschuppe – Overcoming Shame and Rejection

By YooperSmith | July 10, 2023

Anna Zschuppe works as a stress/burnout coach at Summer SOULstice. She helps overwhelmed Type As and overworked business owners at the end of their rope. She helps them to relieve stress, find connection, and regain balance so they can show up for their work and their loved ones. All while making time for themselves. She helps people identify where stress is popping up in their lives, how it’s being stored within them, and ways to relieve the tension by connecting with their mind, body and spirit. She provides strategies/tactics to proactively minimize burnout so that people can find fulfillment both at home and in the office. Anna utilizes a holistic approach that combines body movement, spiritual healing, and mind management/mindfulness techniques so that she and her clients can work toward solutions and breakthroughs together in both one-on-one and group coaching settings.Anna Zschuppe is the CEO and founder of Summer SOULstice, LLC based out of Dallas, Texas. Anna left her six-figure, Fortune 500 job in corporate America at age 26 to pursue her entrepreneurial dream of stress/burnout coaching and made $15K within her first three months of launching full time. Anna also is a certified career coach rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on LinkedIn and has served college students and executives alike for 5+ years across the globe. She has provided HR strategy and transformation services to clients in the private and public sectors, and she now works closely with Catholic organizations and SMBs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a keynote speaker and HR consultant.

Anna Zschuppe Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in a small town near Cleveland Ohio; went to private catholic school until 8th grade; went to public High School in a new town and struggled with bullying; lost herself and became introverted

Girls on her soccer team would say mean things to her and she really took those words to heart and couldn’t understand where those words and feelings were coming from

She didn’t know how to process those feelings; she went hard on doing homework; she would hideout in her room listening to her iPod and crying herself to sleep

In college she was more able to be her old self from K-8; outgoing extraverted and singing in the cafeteria

How we learn shame like why it’s not ok to take off our pants in public; but we don’t learn all about shame consciously; shame can make us feel like we deserve punishment even when we don’t

Finding moderation with “fun” things like alcohol, exercise, work, shopping, eating et al can help you stay healthy while enjoying life; when the moderation takes a break you can get in trouble

Celebrating her one-year full time coach anniversary; trying to work smarter not harder and how to best serve people

What’s ok to say to your football team’s rival fans and what’s not; there is a line for Bear’s fans I learned not to cross

For Type A people, sometimes shame comes when we are “not good enough” and we always need to do better and be perfect

Rejection always hurts, as in a break up; we feel like we are not “right” and we need to change to be better–maybe, but probably you need to find someone who loves you “AS IS” warts and all

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Sergio Nazzaro – How to Live the Life you Actually Want

By YooperSmith | July 3, 2023

Sergio Nazzaro, five years ago, had $12,000 in credit card debt and was making $24,000/year. He left that job and took a pay cut to make $0 and begin his entrepreneurial career. In 24 months he made his first $1,000,000 but his relationship with his fiancé (now wife) almost came to an end. Sergio believes you can have it all in this life – elite health and fitness at 39, a deep connection with yourself and your creator, a relationship with your partner that is on fire and children who adore you and look up to you as their role model –all while creating a business to support the life of your dreams and build prosperity. Sergio is on a mission to help entrepreneurs become great in all areas of their lives.

Sergio Nazzaro Vroom Vroom Veer

Born in New Jersey and moved to Houston while pretty young; experienced the North/South culture shock pretty hard

Mom and Dad got the bad end of a real estate deal and took a significant financial hit; moved the family to Colorado and lived there ever since

Used perseverance and tenacity to get into the Air Force academy; graduated and decided not to become a pilot as the lifestyle didn’t look that appealing

Got into a little bit of trouble when he “side stepped” himself into a deployment Afghanistan; thought he might have to use his side arm once

Suffered from PTSD and started “self medicating” with alcohol and other unhealthy ways to avoid pain; finally hit rock bottom decided to get professional help

Worked his ass off helping a friend start a cross fit business; great work, but only made $24K in a year

Worked a corporate job for a while and bumped up to about 65k; saw that it was a going nowhere job

Built a real estate business and made a ton of money; that came at the cost of not feeding other areas of his life

Started a coaching program to help entrepreneurs live the life the actually want

Connections

Website

Instagram @sergio.nazzaro

Tik Tok – @sergionazzaro

Derek Sivers useful not true https://sive.rs/u

Fire Walk with me Poem

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Chrissy Trotter – Destined Globe Trotter

By YooperSmith | June 26, 2023

Chrissy Trotter is a travel content creator and travel advisor that helps her audience, and customers take action on their bucket list and overcome challenges to travel. She visited 45 countries, 46 states, and counting. Christina is a big believer in sabbaticals and resetting priorities.

Chrissy Trotter Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Dad was in the Air Force so she moved around while growing up, started in Andrews Air Force Base; met Anwar Sadat in the Distinguished Visitors lounge as a kid

Graduated High School in San Antonio TX, met her future husband there who was an Army brat; they both loved travel

Went to college at UT Austin before Austin blew up; got a degree in Management Information Systems; figured out before graduating that she didn’t like programming

Got a job in Dallas working for IBM and working strategy and change; worked there 15 years before her big veer

Took a year “leave of absence” from work (good idea) and did a world backpacking tour; visited all the countries and cities that were not the top tourist destinations to keep costs down; put all their stuff in a storage unit

Had two kids and worked about 5 more years and decided to quit just before lockdown; boss asked her to come back and gave her a 3 year leave absence; 1 year into that she got let go but with severance!

She has hybrid camper for road travel; found out they prefer glamping to camping when not flying for travel

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jennifer Sontag – Italian Citizenship Concierge

By YooperSmith | June 19, 2023

Jennifer Sontag, the founder of Italian Citizenship Concierge, was raised in the US but is 100% Sicilian at heart. Raised in a typical Sicilian family in the Midwest, she is passionate about the island she now calls home. An entrepreneur for over 30 years with a Ph.D. in social and behavioral sciences, she has spent her career supporting clients through life-changing experiences. Since moving to Sicily, Jennifer has focused solely on helping her clients transform their lives through Italian citizenship recognition.

Jennifer Sontag Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in St. Louis which is a nice mix American cultures; made for a diverse set of worldviews and mindsets

Instead of spending her college money on college, Jenn convinced her parents that she could use that money to start a maternity boutique; 8 years later she sold that business to a big company

Went to college at age 35 and did a bachelors in social work; she had been working as a volunteer; discovered that she didn’t want to do social work as a job

Got a Master Degree in Public Health and later a PhD; never used those for work, but did discover many transferable skills

Was living and working in Shanghai China and had to fly home to the states for a little brain surgery; got back to China just in time for Lockdown of 2020; thankfully that only went from Feb – May

Went to China with a teaching job that she never signed the contract for; had to shop for a new teaching job; 1st hired as a “Science Teacher” because she had a “Masters of Science”

Discovered while living in China that should could get an Italian Passport and keep her America Passport because she had a blood connection; her Dad went and found all the paperwork in St. Louis

Connections

Website https://viamonde.eu/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Amber James – Notes to Self

By YooperSmith | June 12, 2023

Amber James is an author and creator of @NotesToSelfShop, empowering women to live their best lives. Her upcoming memoir, I Blew Up My Life, and I’ve Never Been Happier focuses on how she took a leap of faith following a tumultuous year of toxic relationships and health issues in search of true happiness.

Amber James Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, OH; on the Tennis Team in high school; getting good grades was her plan to get out of Ohio

Only applied to one college in Ohio due to their great journalism program; got in on the first try

Did an internship during college at CosmoGirl! Magazine; that didn’t turn into a job; decided to move to New York City anyway and try to find a job

In 2008, landed her first job at AOL and had an amazing video studio she co-hosted a celebrity news video podcast and did red carpet interviews

Great story about the Jonas brother; they are all super nice; but one brother will give you the shirt off his back and it’s not Nick

Shouted out: “You should get an Oscar for the Social Network” to Justin Timberlake; he said “clearly you haven’t seen the movie…” but she got an interview

Once didn’t know what to ask a person on the red carpet; blurted out “Who you are wearing?” to a fashion designer; played it off by saying “only joking!” bad save

Starting writing positive affirmations on sticky notes all over her place to help her through a rough patch; started posting those on Instagram and that became a thing…many big things!

Connections

Notes to Self Shop

Instagram

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Steve Haffner – Mind Performance Strategist

By YooperSmith | June 5, 2023

Steve’ Haffner’s life is full of transitions, as he transformed from I.T. professional and executive to magician to professional speaker. He uses his experience in creating illusions to teach audiences how their mind’s weaknesses and misperceptions interfere with their performance and ability to solve problems.

Steve Haffner Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up Louisville KY he was shy and loved creative writing and performing on stage in plays and shows

After Highschool, instead of pursuing those things that he loved; he studied computer science in college of course; he loved computers too

Later, he worked in various roles in IT; found a book on magic in a clearance section; he bought the book and tried out the magic on his kids; the kids kind of liked magic, but Steve loved it!

Had the idea of starting a business doing magic for family events, birthday party’s even trade shows

Really found his niche in corporate speaking gigs; the first gig wasn’t great from his point of view he had some learning to do

He joined the National Speakers Association and even became his local chapter president to hone his skills as a speaker

Now using magic tricks to entertain and educate corporate audiences with a variety of topics and how magic can help us to see our blind spots

Connections

Website

The name of the person I blanked on was Alex Blumberg Here is the link to the course I mentioned

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Michael Andersen – Digital Nomad Full time RVer

By YooperSmith | May 29, 2023

Michael Andersen is a Gen Exer who defied convention, leaving behind his corporate career and material possessions. With his girlfriend, he embarked on a transformative year-long voyage in an RV, embracing full-time travel and self-discovery. This extraordinary journey resulted in the birth of new ventures and a life filled with less stress and boundless adventure.

Michael Andersen Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in the south side of Chicago in a suburb of a suburb of burb; single mom was a hippy and they camped when rent was late

In college, he arranged keg parties and sold cups for 5 dollars; the party last until the cops show up

Was also running a recording studio and a playing bass in a band; a natural for corporate event planner; somewhere along the line also learned how to make WordPress websites

Did a test run long vacation in a converted shuttle bus; then got a job offer in North Carolina

One day got a raise at work and his rent went up the exact dollar amount to eat his raise; started thinking about doing the digital nomad life

Got an RV for about the same budget as a year’s rent (the RV was a little less); hit the road and now they live and work from the road

They have traveled to 30ish states so far; one highlight was the Big Tent Show in Quartzsite AZ; learned desert living is certainly adjustment; coyotes so close to a pug is a little scary for sure

Connections

That Andersen Guy

Traveling Gatherings

Sweat Dreams are Made with RVs (Facebook & Instagram)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Adam Vosding – Traveling Food Dude

By YooperSmith | May 22, 2023

Adam Vosding “took a break” from his corporate career to travel around North America with his dog, Holland (@HollandThePup). Five-plus years later he is still traveling around enjoying life like he only ever dreamed about. He’s have been showcasing his travels on his social media platforms: @TravelingFoodDude and have found many unique jobs to fund my travels along the way! He also bought a van a couple years ago that has proven to be such a fun way to keep on traveling! Adam took his dog to every NHL arena and we were just featured on the NHL Network during a studio visit a few weeks ago when we were in New Jersey!

Adam Vosding Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in London, Ontario Canada between Detroit and Toronto and loved teams from both cities

His parents won a green card lottery and moved the family to Florida while he has a teenager

Given the option of mowing the lawn for no money or getting a job, he decided getting paid was better so he got a job a Publix grocery store

Worked at Publix all through high school and went to college and got corporate job in Publix doing commercial real estate and property management

In a fated job interview, someone asked what was his passion? He didn’t know, so he thought about it and came up with travel and eating…love it!

Now he travels and finds work on the the road, he is currently working at a dude ranch in Colorado working the summer as a cook

Found out that it’s pretty easy to find street parking in New York City in his camper van, then you are only a couple blocks away from that amazing bakery!

Connections

Facebook

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Misha Rubin – How to Make Meaningful and Intentional Changes in Life and Work

By YooperSmith | May 1, 2023

Misha Rubin is a teacher and entrepreneur that provides transformational career programs that are designed to help people discover meaningful careers that work for their lives. He spent over 20 years in corporate America as a partner at Ernst & Young until he decided it was time to take the plunge and serve his purpose: guiding others toward their own purpose.

His corporate experience combined with profound mentorship and his personal quest for meaning and fulfillment; birthed The Career Leap method, a guided inquiry that brings awareness to deep parts of oneself, creates new career possibilities and moves into action, changing lives forever.

Misha Rubin on Vroom Vroom Veer

Fun Story about a client with a pharmacology degree, owned a construction business, and then created an organic farm

Another client loved being an attorney, but wanted to transition from international law to entertainment law

Positive Pandemic: What makes our current work climate ripe for unprecedented career opportunities?

Remote Work: When You Aren’t Tied to a Geographical Location.

How the Concept of “Career” has Changed Over Time.

How do you know if being an entrepreneur is right for you?

Job search and interviewing: The Only Time You Need to “Perform” is When You’re Acting.

Discovering Your Inner Ingredients to Create the Perfect Recipe for Career with Meaning, Fulfillment and Success.

Principles of Impactful Communication (Authenticity, Relevance, and Transparency)

What are 2 reasons people get stuck in their careers and stay there?

Connections

Website

The Career Leap

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

David Lawson – Awake Warrior: Grief, Loss, Numbing, Addiction, Mediation, Healing; Processing Emotions

By YooperSmith | March 27, 2023

David Lawson and his team help men like you transform their lives through self-mastery to create personal and professional abundance.

The youngest of 3 siblings, I had an unremarkable childhood with strict, loving parents. Following in the footsteps of my older brother, I fell in love with hockey and spent my early teenage years traveling from arena to arena.

(Then) one cold New Year’s day, while driving me to a hockey game, I noticed my Dad rubbing his left arm. Suddenly, he fell into my lap and as the car veered into the ditch I felt him take his last breath. My dad was gone.

After my dad’s funeral I felt numb and detached. While my mother grieved the loss of the love of her life, I had no idea how to process the emotions and grief I was feeling.

As men, our culture neither teaches, allows nor gives us permission to cry, grieve or process many of our emotions.

So I did the only thing I knew how to do – play hockey. My dad and I had talked about me earning a hockey scholarship, and after a lot of early morning practices and hard work I received a scholarship. After four years of long bus rides and sustaining physical injuries, my focus began to shift.

David Lawson Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up ice skating on a lake in the Toronto area, lived in the same area as some famous Canadians

Was on a fast track at the age of 15 playing hockey at the “Junior” level where school classes become secondary to practice/travel/hockey games

His father died on his lap while driving to a hockey game; didn’t have the tools to deal with grief and loss so he just numbed that emotional pain

He double-down on being a High-Achiever never thinking about emotions or self care until finally he was so exhausted that he couldn’t do it anymore

Googled Business Retreat and found a 10-day retreat at the Chopra Center in SoCal; fell in love with meditation on his first try; experienced Ayurvedic Massage, meditaiton and yoga and felt amazing

Through these experiences he started to look at the emotions that he had been numbing since age 15 and his emotional and physical health slowly started to improve

Visited India for further treatments twice and also received acupuncture from a Chinese medicine doctor near home; this same doctor suggested Qigong as a way to do maintenance without needles

Connections

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tanya Cole-Lesnick -The Power of Group Therapy; Clear Energetic Clutter

By YooperSmith | February 6, 2023

Tanya Cole-Lesnick has been a psychotherapist (licensed clinical social worker) and coach since 1995. She received her master’s degree in social work from New York University after group therapy changed her life. She has extensive experience in outpatient hospital mental health, private practice, and wellness center settings. From those experiences over the years she has identified her most important focus—helping people to live lives that light them up. She does this by helping clients to access and honor their truth, to change habits that don’t serve them, and to heal faulty narratives so that they are living in alignment inside and out. Her work revolves around intimate groups as the sharing of inner worlds and being human together in a safe space is what she finds to be the most powerful way for lives to transform.

Tanya Cole-Lesnick Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Chevy Chase Maryland in a suburban area around DC; played soccer and did track in High School; when she started getting interested in boys her grades suffered a little bit

Worked as a Graphic Artist after college and was struggling finding a long-term love relationship; found a therapist even with the shame and stigma around therapy

Her therapist suggested group therapy which she was afraid to try but did it anyway because she trusted her therapist

She went through a whole group session without saying anything; in the 2nd session a man in the group told her “I could feel your neediness right away”

Group therapy was so transformational for her that she went back to school to be a therapist herself and really fell in love with group and mostly helping women

Learned there is nothing wrong with us, what we are feeling is just part of the human condition

Traditional Roles for women are celebrated as “she does it all” which is probably impossible to fulfill all those roles with perfection;

Being a Good Girl and doing what you “should” can make you feel like you will never measure up

Sharing your secrets and things you are ashamed of in group gives others in group the permission they need to say “oh me too”; my shame was a little different but still just as shameful

Going through the discomfort of sharing shame is difficult for sure; but it’s worth the relief to realize that carrying shame is part of the human condition and we need to keep “wiping the slate clean”; it never gets easier but you always feel better after doing that

Connections

Website

Instagram

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Drexwell Seymour Rise Up and Take your Position

By YooperSmith | January 30, 2023

Drexwell Seymour is a Certified Public Accountant and is the managing partner and founder of the HLB TCI accounting firm. Perhaps more importantly, Drexwell is a man on a mission to inspire, encourage and influence others to overcome setbacks and systemic injustice and to find their purpose in life. To that end, he hosts a YouTube channel and Financially Speaking, a weekly radio show, and is the author of the internationally best-selling Rise Up And Take Your Position, as well as the creator of a short film by the same name.

Drexwell grew up on a small island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where there were limitedopportunities and terrible colorism, but he strived and thrived, eventually receiving a full scholarshipfor a BA in Accounting to Wilmington College at the age of 16 and later graduating from MiamiCollege with an MBA in finance. As he grew older, despite his achievements, building a successfulaccounting firm and a property management company from the ground up, he was hauntedthrough his life by the low self esteem and lack of confidence that he had been instilled with duringhis childhood. It wasn’t until a mere 4 years ago that he discovered his life’s purpose, helpingothers to never feel the way that he had been made to feel. Drexwell and his wife, Joanna, live inthe Turks and Caicos Islands with their 5 children.

Drexwell Seymour Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in a very small town in Turks and Caicos playing marbles and softball; lots of family and friends visiting entertaining each other

Wanted to have a penpal in America when he was 10 years old, lied and said he was older and gave the age 18 but said he was born in 1970

Had an inferiority complex because of his dark skin; the culture taught him that dark skin people are inferior to light skin people; his older brother has light skinned

Went to school in the British system, were you finish high school at age 16 and then get your A-levels. Drex got a scholarship to attend college in Ohio from a donor from Michigan.

Finished his bachelors a year early because he did credits during the summers, now, regrets not taking summers off; then went right in and did a master degree for 1.5 years.

In 2019 he finally overcame his inferority complex with the help of this wife and this faith and reading scripture

His wife kept telling him that his beliefs about himself were not true and that all people were equal

Drex also found confirmation in scripture that all men are created equal in the eyes of god

Drex found that he was avoiding writing his whole life; now, he found that writing is part of his purpose of sharing his message of overcoming inferiority complex

Be mindful of “why” you avoiding whatever you are avoiding; maybe you should just do it and see if you find something there.

Connections

Website

Rise Up and Take Your Position: Don’t give up. Find your Gift and Cultivate it

YouTube Channel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Anish Majumdar – Career Coach and Hidden Job Market Expert

By YooperSmith | November 14, 2022

Anish Majumdar is a Career Coach and expert in the Hidden Job Market. Over the past 12 years, he has helped thousands of professionals around the world take the reins of their professional destiny and break free of the necessity of “job searching”- permanently.

His webinars, videos and articles have appeared in Fast Company, Business Insider, Glassdoor, and Ivy Exec. He lives with his wife and three children in Rochester, NY.

Anish Majumdar – Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up in Montreal Canada; mother was an English teacher; when her father died it triggered onset of schizophrenia; because of the stigma surrounding mental illness his home life was isolated from the world

Spent years writing and acting professionally and learning the craft of the audition

Once you are in the process of job posting/interviewing it may be too late to create the context to show how awesome you really are

Current job hiring process is not serving companies or employees; it’s important to understand that companies are struggling to solve a problem they may not understand; if you can help them understand their problem; even if you don’t get the job you provide value and the company will remember that

Story about “the Oracle in the Matrix” who didn’t like how her company was trying to “shuffle her off” into retirement mode; she held onto her own power and created a new context for her 70’s

Wrote The Isolation Door about living with a mother with schizophrenia

Speaking with CEOs and C Suite people should not be terror inducing; we are all just people trying to help each other; those C Suite people poop and struggle just like you

Connections

Website

Youtube

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Carrington Smith Finding Gifts in the Shit of Life

By YooperSmith | October 10, 2022

Carrington Smith is a single mom, attorney, business owner, and executive search professional. Despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, life gave her a hard kick in the tail. She has survived sexual assault, two divorces, piles of debt, abuse, religious mind games, the death of loved ones, and the loss of close friends.

In her debut memoir, Carrington combines wit and wisdom to share her journey through the shit, with a positive attitude and a shift of mindset, into a life bursting with joy, opportunity, and purpose.

Carrington is passionate about empowering people in all aspects of their life and career by reframing their circumstances and experiences, shifting their mindset, creating a vision for their life, and then breaking it down into specific measurable achievable realistic time-bound (SMART) goals. She helps people and organizations move past excuses, shame, and fear to identify where they want to end up, the steps necessary to get there, and how to deal with any obstacles in the way.

Carrington Smith Vroom Vroom Veer Stories

Grew up on the East Coast in a mom’s family that had status and a “name” but the old money was gone; mom married a doctor to keep the status

Dad moved the family to Washington state under suspicious circumstances “shenanigans'”; in the blue collar town mom kept dressing like East Coast Money

Her father was physically, emotionally, spiritually abusive to her and her family; viciously beat a dog with a 2×4 until it broke in half

Older brother and sister got to attend the fancy schools but not Carrie; she went to public school and all the hand-me-downs

Went to college first in Washington state where she raped; after the trauma of that event moved to Austin, TX to finish undergrad

Started dating a bar manager from Bourbon street; he got to her heart through her stomach; she didn’t have enough money for good food

Had fluid coming out of her ear; went to the hospital and the doctor accidently damaged her spinal cord; after five days the hospital her first husband took her to the Justice of the Peace and married her while she was drugged up

2nd marriage latest 10 years and produced two kids; ultimately ended because her husband was toxic to her and the kids

Learned many times the lessons from the “shit” of life; during lockdown; wrote a memoir about finding her power in the shit of life

Connections

Website

Podcast: Play in new window | Download