*Trigger Warning: This episodes mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling with thoughts of suicide please reach out to the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 9-8-8 (available anywhere in Canada).*

Stacy Blemaster grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She received a BA from Brown University in theater and then went on to be licensed in counseling and human services, earning a MA from John Carroll University. She has two autistic sons, and a daughter- all now adults. She resides in Placida, Florida, with her husband Robert and two Golden Retrievers, Libby and Lacey.

Instagram: StacyBlemasterauthor

Website: https://stacyblemaster.com/

Her new book: To Be or Not To Be: Shedding an As-If Personality

Email: [email protected]

International Speaker and Violinist Diane Allen is a TEDx/TED Speaker, and Thought Leader who speaks on increasing the meaning, joy, and fulfillment in one's work and life by accessing the flow state. As the author of Flow: Unlock Your Genius, Love What You Do, Diane shares her insights on how to harness the power of flow. Years before neuroscientists discovered the positive impact of the flow state, Diane had already experienced its transformative power in her own career as a violinist. Diane was the concertmaster of the Central Oregon Symphony for 15 years, a beloved violin teacher for 28 years, and author of the Fingerboard Workbook series for violin, viola, cello, and bass. It was her unique approach to getting into flow, on demand, that earned her a spot on the TEDxNaperville stage and features on TED, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Associated Press, Boston Herald, Authority Magazine, and Thrive Global. Today, Diane is known for her experiential Keynotes, Training, and Coaching programs that go Beyond Engagement™, featuring her three-step Flow Strategy™ system, which empowers people to get into their flow state, be in their genius, and love what they do.

Learn more about Diane Allen:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianeallenspeaker/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianeallenspeaker/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianeallenspeaker/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOk_r1n2X2FmbRcoiUhIHQ

Diane Allen's Book: https://a.co/d/coTXBSN

FREE GIFT for our listeners from Diane Allen - a Flow Strategy Worksheet and videos: https://talk.ac/dianeallen?code=PODCAST

Author Patti Clark has been described as a cross between Elizabeth Gilbert and Julia Cameron. Patti is an award-winning author, accomplished speaker and workshop leader. As the author of This Way Up: Seven Tools for Unleashing Your Creative Self and Transforming Your Life, Patti has been featured on TVNZ's Breakfast Show, and her work has been featured in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Mindful Word, and Thrive Global. Her own experience as a middle-aged woman in recovery is deeply reflected in her new book, Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home. Patti was born and raised in Northern California, lived in New Zealand for many years, and is now living in Portugal.

Website: https://www.patticlark.org/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patticlarkauthor/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PattiClarkAuthor 

Substack: https://patticlarkwriter.substack.com/

Her new book (Published 1 October 2024) - Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home 

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Recovery-Road-Trip/Patti-Clark/9781647427740

DAVID ROCHE is a popular motivational speaker and performer, and he has taken his one-man show, The Church of 80% Sincerity, on tour across the world, performing from Sydney to Moscow, London to Los Angeles, and even at the White House. He has also had several roles in films and documentaries. A recent recipient of the Order of Canada, Roche is also a volunteer for the Sunshine Coast Hospice in British Columbia. With his partner, Marlena, he leads storytelling and writing workshops, inspiring others to voice their own stories. His memoir Standing at the Back Door of Happiness (Harbour Publishing) published in 2024. Roche lives in Roberts Creek, BC. His website is www.davidroche.com.

If you are someone with a facial difference and you want to connect with other people with facial differences David Roche can help you make connections. Email him at [email protected] 

Website: www.davidroche.com

Loveatsecondsight.org

Email: [email protected]

Brian Joseph is the author of Vegas Concierge: Sex Trafficking, Hip Hop, and Corruption In America. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and investigative journalist for about 20 years, writing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Orange County Register, and the Sacramento Bee, among other publications. In 2013-14, he was an investigative reporting fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, where he investigated privatized foster care for Mother Jones magazine. Brian is a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia and the recipient of several journalism honors, including a George Polk Award. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife and daughter and their talkative orange tabby Nemo.

Link to book's website: vegasconciergebook.com 

Twitter handles:

@bjoseph1 (personal)

@vconciergebook (for book) 

IG handle:

@vegasconciergebook 

Facebook pages: facebook.com/brian.joseph14 (personal) 

facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562121669323 (for book) 

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brjoseph/

Brian Joseph's book (Rowman & Littlefield, October 1, 2024) "Vegas Concierge: Sex Trafficking, Hip Hop, and Corruption in America" https://www.amazon.com/Vegas-Concierge-Trafficking-Corruption-America/dp/1538171694

LYN SMITH GREGORY grew up in Utah as one of nine children in a devout Mormon family. Her great, great uncle was Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. At 19, she left the Church and moved to New York City, eventually obtaining an MBA at NYU. After a 20-year career in the tech industry, she left to pursue writing full-time and has attended the Iowa Summer Writing Program and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. She lives in Savannah with her husband.

• Website; https://lynsmithgregory.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyn.s.gregory.9
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynsmithgregory/

Blog post mentioned in this podcast: 

https://lynsmithgregory.com/your-organization-or-religion-is-cult/

Farzana Doctor is a Toronto-based author, activist and psychotherapist. Since 1993, Farzana has been a social worker at community based agencies and a mental health hospital. She is now in private practice where she provides psychotherapy to individuals and couples and clinical consultation to other therapists. She is a founding member of the End FGM Canada Network and WeSpeakOut, two organizations that focus on ending female genital cutting/mutilation. She has written four critically acclaimed novels and a poetry collection. Her self- and community care workbook for activists and helpers, 52 Weeks To A Sweeter Life, has just been released. Her new YA novel, The Beauty of Us, will be released in September. 

www.Linktr.ee/farzanadoctor

@farzanadoctor (on FB, insta, X, LinkedIn) 

@farzanadoctorauthor (TikTok)

Misty Pratt is a science communicator and author of the book All In Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women's Mental Health. With over a decade of experience working in the field of biomedical research, Misty unpacks how personal and systemic biases have shaped our scientific understanding of disease and wellness. Misty has written for publications including Broadview, Mindful.org, and Today's Parent, and is an advocate for better mental health care. She lives in Ottawa with her family and her mischievous pug, Winnie. All In Her Head is her first book.

www.mistypratt.com 

IG/Threads: @mistyprattwriter 

Facebook: @prattmistywriter

Patricia Roos was a professor of sociology at Rutgers University when in 2015 her 25-year-old son Alex died from a heroin overdose. Her training as a sociologist led her on a quest to better understand what happened to her family. Building on her professional and academic perspectives, she wrote a sociological memoir, Surviving Alex: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Addiction, published in May 2024 by Rutgers University Press.

Web page: patroos.com (https://www.patroos.com/)

Instagram: roos.p (https://www.instagram.com/roos.p/)

New book: Surviving Alex: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Addiction Published May 17, 2024

Tracey Yokas creates stuff. When she isn't writing about mental health and wellness, she can be found playing with paint, glitter, and glue. She shares about her family's journey with mental illness so others will know they are not alone. She is dedicated to supporting women in the journey towards authenticity, and fulfills her mission by creating safe spaces where art, words, and vulnerability meet in dynamic community. Tracey earned her master's degree in counseling psychology from California Lutheran University and lives in Newbury Park, CA, with her family.

You can find her on Facebook (@traceyyokascreates) and Instagram (@traceyyokas) or on her website, www.traceyyokascreates.com.

Her memoir: Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing. (Pub date: May 7, 2024)

Michael Tennant is the Founder, and CEO of Curiosity Lab, a purpose-driven venture studio and consultancy that builds products and experiences that teach empathy, creator of the empathy card game, Actually Curious, and author of The Power of Empathy, described by Inc. as "effectively balancing a self-help approach with a practical explanation of how we can use empathy as a tool". Michael and his work has been featured by the New York Times, Beyoncé, the Today show, Good Morning America, and many others. In his role as CEO, Michael creates and incubates businesses to help values-aligned individuals and organizations use empathy to live happier and healthier lives, and to nurture inclusive and innovative environments. In 2022, Curiosity Lab received an investment from Pharrell and the Black Ambition Prize.

Relevant Social Media Handles: 

Instagram: @michaeltennantnyc / @actuallyc_rious / @c_riositylab 

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/michael-tennant 

Digital course: https://fivephasesofempathy.com 

Conversation card game, Actually Curious: https://actuallycurious.com 

15% off Actually Curious card games on actuallycurious.com with code RUTHLESSCOMPASSION

Book: https://thepowerofempathy.chroniclebooks.com