Counterbalance Conversations with Dr. Melissa L. Strawser
Are you looking for an hour to allow your imagination to soar? An hour for self-care? An hour to learn something new? Counterbalance Conversations is the hour that you have been looking for! Dr. Melissa L. Strawser seeks out engaging subject matter experts, coaches, entrepreneurs, entertainers, authors, and everyday heroes to bring emerging topics and fascinating stories to her audience. Her passion for storytelling, learning, healing, and resilience will inspire you to spark change in your life and community. The conversations will give you an hour to breathe and time to let your imagination soar while you enjoy stories of triumph from those who are healing, inspiring change, and building resilience in their lives and communities. Take the journey with us on Tuesdays at 5 PM Pacific Time on the VoiceAmerica Variety Channel.
Episodes
January 11, 2022 • 60 min
Join us tonight for the final episode of Counterbalance Conversations on Voice America Radio. In this episode we will visit with Liani Kotcher, attorney turned young adult author and book blogger. We will talk about her journey from attorney to creative, her pivots and career transitions, life as a creative, and her recently released book, “Ski Weekend.” Liani will share some of her nuggets of wisdom for creatives striving to pr...
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January 4, 2022 • 60 min
Happy New Year! We are ringing in the new year with award winning author, television comedy writer, and panelist, Leslie Rasmussen! Melissa and Leslie will be discussing the myth that midlife crisis is a crisis when really if it is reframed it is rediscovering yourself AND empowering yourself for change. Leslie will talk about her book After Happily Ever After and how this and the theme of the sandwich generation is explored in ...
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December 28, 2021 • 60 min
In this episode, Melissa talks with author, Diana Kupershmit about her memoir, Emma’s Laugh, the Gift of Second Chances. They discuss Diana's story of being a mother to a special needs child, her grief points through the process, second chances, Emma’s legacy, finding her tribe, and becoming an author in the process.
You won’t want to miss this beautiful story of love and triumph.
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December 21, 2021 • 60 min
Sometimes the people we leas expected can turn into friends who help us change our own lives and see things from a new perspective.
In this episode, Dr. Melissa will talk to Suzanne about building a tribe, her book - The Sound of Wings, and the concept of new perspectives for the new year.
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December 14, 2021 • 60 min
Dealing with some of the most vicious threats online is a rough job, and one that takes a certain kind of mindset to engage in. Having been doing this for 10 years, I have seen a lot of amazing triumphs in the world, as well as some of the most vicious scams launched in the wake of those triumphs. I’ve had stunning, against the odds, last minutes wins, and earthshattering, will-never-recover-from-this losses. In all of it, I’ve nev...
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December 7, 2021 • 60 min
Changing your storyline is a subject that Jamie Lerner spends a lot of time on with her private clients. One of her favorite questions is to ask “is your storyline working well for you”. She believes that the story that we are incessantly telling is directly reflected in the life that we are living. Change your story and you will change your life.
In this episode, we will discuss how you can change your story and give you a head s...
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November 30, 2021 • 60 min
Vera Czerny (pronounced like Cherney) spent her entire professional life in some form of sales. Whether it was her own business, back in her home country of Czech Republic, in Holland where she lived for a year, or in America, that became her new home since 2002.
She ran multiple business, as well as businesses for others, and developed her own sales system that goes against the mainstream and usual advice. Didn’t matter what indu...
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November 23, 2021 • 60 min
This week starts the holiday season and for many. This means a lot of gatherings, activities, and expectations that sometimes can challenge your mental and financial bandwidth. After almost 2 years of less than bustling holidays, it seems that this year is ramping up to be very jolly indeed. In this episode, Dr. Melissa will discuss how you can manage expectations with others, carve out time for yourself, create effective stress...
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November 16, 2021 • 60 min
Rachel Keck's Book, Connecting Through the Static: Everyone is Not Like You, is written for those at the intersection of leading workplace culture and customer service. It teaches that practicing authenticity is the way to create sustainable workplaces that operate with integrity and generate connection.
In this episode we will talk about common workplace culture questions and some of the issues with the traditional way custo...
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November 9, 2021 • 60 min
Are you the creative and consistent visionary that you want to be? How would you like to harness the power of your creativity in 2022 to upgrade your life and move to the next level? Join Dr. Melissa in this episode as she gives you the inside scoop on the 7 strategies that she and her clients use use to access their inner visionary with extraordinary results.
You don't want to miss this episode! It is Dr. Melissa's bi...
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November 2, 2021 • 60 min
Did you know that eight out of 10 veterans are not receiving the benefits they deserve by law. Less than 25 percent (or 4.9 million) of veterans alive today receive disability benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs In this episode, Dr. Melissa will be taking with Brian Reese about his book, You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You've Earned and exploring why Veterans are not receivi...
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October 26, 2021 • 60 min
Risk is a part of everyday life and working in cybersecurity has put Shea in front of
more risk than most. Ransomware, crypto miners, bad actors, and insider threats – she’s dealt with them all! Knowing how to manage risk is essential in cybersecurity but managing risk in life is something everyone is doing now more than ever. Technology lacks empathy – but technology gives us the opportunity to connect with a vast ocean of resourc...
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October 19, 2021 • 60 min
Personal trauma can take many forms, including what Dr. Randall Bell calls the “difficult Ds”: death, divorce, disease, disaster, and destruction. But any circumstances that you’re having difficulty processing and moving beyond can be considered trauma, he explains.
“Trauma affects us all at some point in time,” Dr. Bell said. “But the good news is, we can get through it and actually heal from it.”
In his latest book, Post-Trau...
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October 12, 2021 • 60 min
Sometimes, difficulties and loss can reshape who we are and nudge us into growing. Just like a caterpillar sheds its skin and spins itself a silky chrysalis, what results is a breathtakingly beautiful creature we could never imagine, the butterfly. Meg Nocero’s story is not so different as she depicts her extraordinary transformation in Butterfly Awakens.
As a forty-something Italian-American immigration attorney, Meg moves throug...
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October 5, 2021 • 60 min
Most individuals are not as financially secure and prepared as they think they are. In this conversation, Dr. Melissa will talk with Stacy Phillips, a seasoned financial professional, about the 7 steps to real financial security. They will explore what you should be thinking about to create a future that includes financial freedom and long-term protection for your family for generations to come.
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September 28, 2021 • 60 min
You and your team need to know where you’re going in order to move together as a unit towards a common goal. Melissa and Jessica will discuss creating the proper structure and environment that supports your company’s goals. Managing a team while things are ever changing, cultivating self accountability, saving time and money, and avoiding unnecessary headaches in the process.
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September 21, 2021 • 60 min
Join me as I talk with Jason Hedden about acting, teaching, writing, juggling, directing, and stand-up comedy. We will talk about his journey from actor to stand-up comedian and all points in between. He will share how he got out of his comfort zone and how you can escape yours. The magic happens on the other side. I promise he will make you laugh. Aren’t you curious about “opening for Elvis?” Listen to hear the story.
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September 14, 2021 • 60 min
In this episode, Dr. Adrienne Unae will discuss STEAM as a model of education that incorporates and places importance on the arts alongside STEM learning competencies. Dr. Adrienne will give us a sneak peek into her newly formed movie production company and share her story about how the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the opportunity to step into a new role in entertainment. We will discuss Adrienne’s experience of working in the enter...
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September 7, 2021 • 60 min
A US Veteran, David Bulger, and a civilian, Justin Moore, walked 22 miles a day for 22 days in nature, barefoot in May 2021. Why? They wanted to bring awareness to the epidemic of 22 Veterans committing suicide daily. In this timely and deeply personal conversation, David, Justin, and Melissa discuss why they chose to walk barefoot, this complex and multifaceted epidemic, why it is not just an issue for Veterans, and the journey ...
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August 31, 2021 • 60 min
Creativity is everywhere - cars, houses, candy wrappers, shoes…eating sushi. It’s all a creative idea that someone had and made into a reality. Do you wonder how you can be more creative and unlock that creative genius-ness that was locked away inside of you from when you were a child? The answer might be closer than you think! In this episode, join Megan Billnoske and I as we discuss how to cultivate and unlock creativity conn...
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