This episode is about The Power of Connection: Giving, Learning, and Changing the World

We live in a world where opportunities often come through connections — but not just any connections. The ones that matter most are built on trust, generosity, and shared purpose. Networking isn't just about knowing the right people. It's about being the right kind of person. ...

The conference is coming up on October 16th

For m...

How many times have I wished I could take those negative thoughts out of my head, those thoughts projecting a future that may not actually happen? This doesn’t mean that we don’t prepare for the worst, but do we want to live in that state or space where it virtually eliminates being in the present/ our present? How can we enjoy anything if we are always thinking about what might be? Conversely, thinking about what might be from a p...

What happens when you mix the love of Jiu-Jitsu and the love for community? Guardian happens! This podcast recording offers insight into how learning to manage our emotions through martial arts, and specifically through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its own magical ingredients with real and lasting impact. Guardian was founded by Ben Kovacs and Joel Lunenfeld in 2015, initially starting as a s...

In this nonprofit podcast story, I share about a personal experience and then tap into the beauty of matching rescueres with rescues! I am not sure who rescues whom!

I don’t know about you, but I think about dog rescue as a really wonderful thing to do although it has its challenges; our dog, Molly is a rescue and I guess that she ...

This podcasting story will resonate with anyone who is still living and wants to fully embrace life.

There are plenty of words in the English language that are disdainful, hurtful, nasty, & downright awful, but there are two words that are unavoidable and from which we often run: death & dying - no one enjoys grief, sadness, or loss - those words are so dam final! When I was in social work s...

It has been an honor and a privilege to host this nonprofit podcast to benefit nonprofits and social enterprises

Our 100th episode is a montage of what our interviewees shared with us about their experience on Small & Gutsy, as well as some advice for those yet to be interviewed. We are grateful for the opportunity to have interviewed the most amazing organizations over the past 4 1/2 years and look forward to many more interview...

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, second only to water. It comes in many varieties: black, green, white, oolong, and herbal. Tea is celebrated for its health benefits, from antioxidants to its calming effects, and it continues to play a major role in global culture and commerce.

In recent decades, tea has experienced a revival in interest, with a growing market for specialty te...

Finding inner peace is a process that leads to a practice; there are important rituals that guide us in self-discovery. Derived from the Sanskrit word for “circle”, the Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe. It is a sacred art form that connects us to our inner selves and the world around us. Their profound wisdom and tranquil messages, serve as a powerful medium t...

Investing in youth and education aligns directly with Sustainable Development Goal # 4 (Quality Education) and indirectly fuels several others like Decent Work and Economic Growth (goal # 8) and Reduced Inequalities (goal # 10). This perspective reinforces how crucial it is to view sustainability as not just environmental, but deeply tied to social and economic development.

It takes a village is a common e...

Two very smart women saw a pattern developing in their midwestern city of St. Louis, my hometown actually, after one attended a meet-up group organized by  Susan Gobbo one of these smart women, who is Brazilian, and who experienced the loneliness of a trailing spouse, herself when she moved to St. Louis in 2008. Years later, she formed a meetup group for other foreign wives. Annie Schlafly, the other very smart woman, ...

What a beautiful and thoughtful reflection on places of connection and spiritual significance. It’s fascinating how certain spaces, whether physical or emotional, provide that sense of peace, clarity, or even healing, just like the one I described as a child under the bush in your yard. Weaving the idea of being open to the present moment, and to the connections we share with others can be spiritual...

Loss is something we all experience and I think if you ask the average person about loss, you may get an answer about missing someone who was very special to them, and is no longer here, but loss can take on so much more meaning; it can be loss of an opportunity, loss of an existing relationship, because that relationship has shifted or no longer exists in its original construct; it can be loss of abilities or facultie...

Dr. Charity Dean, the public health leader who helped guide the strategic response to Covid-19 in California and elsewhere, shared her incredible personal story of being very poor, born on the side of the tracks in rural Oregon where the kids are never encouraged to seek college or any higher educational degree; in fact, Dr. Dean shared that she shou...

Mosaics are defined as a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass, resulting in the creation of something often ornate and beautiful. Sometimes, mosaics tell the story of what was, what is, or what can be…. Each mosaic is uniquely different and yet shares a common history - simply created from something else. As I was putting together this po...

Su Casa in Spanish simply means your home - which if I take a little poetic license, could mean this space is your home or the contraction you’re, you are home - let’s go with you are home… The concept of home is something many of us often take for granted! Home can mean we can breathe, let down our hair, and be ourselves, and in general, we are in charge of our own lives, decisions we make, etc..for many, though this ...

What does the phrase, “education should be a right, not a privilege” mean to you? If you believe that access to education is not a privilege, but a right as is the human rights law guarantees, then, why are  61 million children not in school, and most of them girls? Educating children no matter where they are is one of the biggest factors toward ending extreme poverty.

Education is not a privilege. It is, ...

Let’s take a moment and define community, particularly in today’s very divided and extraordinary divisive environment where community and, in many cases, democracy is misunderstood and missused. Community in its simplest form is often defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals; upon further elaboration, it can include a joint ownership or liability - no...

When the typical person thinks of Hollywood, they think of fame & fortune, the whirlwind of celebrities, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the celebrity hand and foot cement impressions, Groman’s Chinese theatre, The Hollywood sign, and many more iconic symbols of glamor, representing the rich and famous…there is another part of Hollywood though, the real people who live there, and some of those real people are disadvantaged...