The Melrose Show Mel Rose Wild Bickerstaff

Anna Dravland, founder and CEO of Spread Goodness Day is back. Growing her mission to it's 5th year, Anna is doing amazing with her non profit. Anna, who has made it a mission to Spread Goodness from state to state and is now a recognized state holiday in MI and in many cities across America. Hopefully one day SGD will be a National and International holiday. The day is all about, you guessed it, spreading as much goodness as you can. Through schools, communities, and companies, the impact is lasting and important for advancing social health and well being.

Explore this episode where we highlight 5 stories, one for each year she has run Spread Goodness Day. From her scientific model for increasing hope and health though doing and witnessing acts of kindness, to her work with schools, companies, and her hopes for the future. 

At the end of this episode we tell you how to get involved. Visit SpreadGoodnessDay.com to get even more materials, ideas, and to get involved. We'd love to have you join this mission with us. Mel Rose is currently an ambassador for Spread Goodness Day. 

Myka McLaughlin is a really powerful business woman who has mastered communicating and leading with softness and genuine care for others. This is no easy feat in life. Myka is a business owner. Her career and her own business is helping other women with rigorous business training and a platform for building a feminine business culture. She helps women survive doing what they love to do. Myka wasn't always sure that this would be her path and it took some trust of the universe and letting go to find her calling. While studying economics she thought she would have a career in other countries working with the UN. But when her two worlds collided, everything changed and she heard a little calling from the unseen world for a more unique path. She discovered that her two worlds actually met at an intersection of purpose right here at home. The first world she loved being a part of was a Yogini and spiritual regular practice honoring sacred female space in her hometown of Boulder. The other was studying Economics and the disparity of wealth in the world. When pondering what to do, she realized that she was surrounded by incredible women hovering over the poverty line doing things they were whole heartedly fueling. In short, these women were business owners who didn't know they were business owners. And because of this, they didn't search out business skills. Myka had the answer...and it wasn't a non profit. It was a viable business that she would grow.  

10 years later, she has a thriving business, with a ton of purpose, that is making a difference. She co-founded WINC and has created real impact in her community. Founded in 2011, WINC has taught 15,000 women, especially artists, healers, creatives and women fleeing corporate culture in general. Myka has worked intimately with over 500 women-owned businesses. Her mission is to transform the economic system from the inside out, with women's wisdom. The women in her program utilize WINS's unique process and make it possible to support their families doing things they love to do and have real passion around. If this career interests you OR you are a woman with a business or a business idea, THIS is your episode. Honestly, even if that is not you, it's worth listening to just to tap into some of this goddess' sacred vibes and mindsets. She is a force to be reckoned with. A really great example of clarity, strength and grace defined in a person ie. Women's Wisdom at large. There is a lot of career love here to be awakened to and inspired by. 

Myka recommends reading The Tao of Physics, Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs, E-Myth, and Getting Things Done. Mel recommends The Celestine Prophecy and Everything is Figureoutable. Nature by Numbers link is here. Also this article on being organized is boss. Try using Overdrive to read for free. All you need is a library card which you can get for free! Write down and download all the book recommendations in this podcast for continued listening and exploration of this topic and expansion. Mel saves over $3K per year on books! In 15 years at a 10% return that is 

Jennifer Valoppi is a very special guest on the show. It is an honor to have her speaking to Mel and our community about her incredible career. Jennifer is a former Broadcast Television Journalist with over 28 years in the industry as an investigative reporter, science editor, anchor, and producer. Jennifer is also the author of Certain Cure, a sci-fi thriller novel (the first of a trilogy). She is also the founder and leader of Women of Tomorrow, a scholarship program which provides aid for at risk girls graduating high school and college. Jennifer has been recognized with Emmy's, on the floor of the US Congress and with Jeb Bush's Points of Lights Award. She is humble with all of this life experience and accomplishment. Mel likes to believe this is because, like her, she started out as a Michigander. 

Jennifer's amazing career path, her first shot at being a television journalist, her becoming a mother and working in New York and Palm Beach are all stories you will want to hear. Women of Tomorrow has helped over 20,000 women and basically if you need an icon to emulate, this is her! 

Tune in to listen to Jennifer's stellar advice for going after what you want in life. Some of her best advice on this episode is "Every day be doing something that you're proud of." 

Jennifer's book recommendations are Certain Cure (link above), My life with Frank Sinatra (which she also wrote), All of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, The four agreements, and for more Sci-Fi Mel suggests her fav Sci-Fi book Child of Fortune. Try using Overdrive to read for free. All you need is a library card which you can get for free! Write down and download all the book recommendations in this podcast for continued listening and exploration of this topic and expansion.

Cris Saur was in college studying to become a civil engineer when she was scouted to be a model. Cris became a successful Brazilian model and while on the outside it seemed the tables had turned for this shooting star who was bullied in school for being taller and skinnier than the rest of the girls, like most models are, something was not right. The pressure to be perfect for decades left her with very low self-esteem and she only realized how damaged her self-esteem actually was after being physically abused by a former partner. The depression that ensued pushed her to her limit and it was only after seeing Forest Gump, did she feel a call to action to make a change in her own life. Ironically, Mel Rose had her own Forest Gump moment and could relate intensely when they first discussed Cris' story. It has become clear that much of Cris' story seems to ring true for many women who have experienced the lifestyle of being a professional model. Abusive work will often perpetuate abuse in other area's of a person's life and this is why career is so important! Cris decided to do something about it and realized that the distorted ideas of beauty in our society deserved a quest. Cris sold her car, grabbed a camera, and traveled around the world on a quest for how different cultures define beauty. Cris found that it is often when we stop moving and sit very still and learn to think and act differently, only then do we really find the change and beauty in life that we crave. Through her journey and content creation, Cris produced an amazing documentary; Quest for Beauty, which you can find here. She premiered during covid. The proceeds benefited a women's shelter since her film was prompted by her own battle with domestic abuse. Cris is amazing and doing big things in live, so take note, dig in and get inspired by this amazing woman!

On this episode Mel and Cris discuss Cris' journey and the gratefulness she has for naivety to even try creating a film, her process in becoming a now professional film director, producer and star, and reflecting on the emotional place that she has arrived to in her life now. They discuss the concept the world being a large array of people either running away or running towards something and the importance of knowing where you are on that spectrum and what you want. Tune in for some really amazing ideas and to be inspired by another amazing Seastar who is on a mission to change the world in her own authentic way. 

Cris recommends reading the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda and Planetary Transiton by Divaldo Pereira Franco and Manoel Philomeno de Miranda. If you are interested in film she recommends Save the Cat, Making Movies by Sidney Lumet, Guide to Film Distribution, Documentary Storytelling, How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck, and Shut Up and Shoot. Try using Overdrive to read for free. All you need is a library card which you can get for free! Write down and download all the book recommendations in this podcast for continued listening and exploration of this topic and expansion.

Nicolina is a super smart woman and consultant firm business owner. She is a woman who isn't afraid of doing the hard work and over the course of her life so far, that mindset has paid off. After majoring in finance with a full ride scholarship, after being told she wasn't smart enough for college, and having some really solid mentoring in her career path, Nicolina decided to open her own consulting firm to design instructional resources for organizations. Her decision to enter into an industry that would always need help was a wise one. Today she works with City and Corporations to create Learning and Development Programs. Her company is called Bee Smart. She is currently digitizing all of the current instructional classes for multiple city programs that she is involved in with The City of New York as well as creating instructional courses for private companies. Nicolina is originally from Bolivia and because of this, she doesn't take her opportunities or becoming an American lightly. Nicolina is really good at expressing how grateful she is to be able to work in this country. She is a reminder to anyone who is American, to be grateful for the freedom that we have to create businesses and thrive here, unlike many other places on the planet. 

Mel & Nicolina discuss the actual industry of creating learning and development programs as a profession, the importance of hard work, the struggles as a Latina woman in business and just being a woman in general in the work place, and the many ways these two girls have bonded over their friendship. Nicolina lives by the saying Be Curious, Get Motivated, & Work Hard and it hasn't let her down yet. 

Nicolina recommends reading The Lean Startup, The 6 Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning, and The Art of Learning. Try using Overdrive to read for free. All you need is a library card which you can get for free! Write down and download all the book recommendations in this podcast for continued listening and exploration of this topic and expansion.

Alex Schueler is a full package when it comes to being multi dimensional. She is a professional woman with financial certifications and connections including top minds in the world. And she is also a 500 hour certified Yogini who comes packed with life lessons and spiritual wellness at her core. Alex is sweet and strong and genuine: real Seastar vibes. She is easy to talk to and a testament to the bad stuff in life bringing on the good stuff (and perspectives). 

Alex and Mel talk about the importance of relationships, the value of loving what you do in life, leaning into curiosity, and creating a unique life that not only looks and feels good but adds value to one's essence and the people around us. Tune in to catch the ride from Guggenheim finance professional to Milken Institute Business Development Director and what that all looked like and how she made important career moves and decisions. Some of those links Mel mentioned are Here for Study on why women don't apply to jobs without 100% qualifications. The actual quote she was looking for from this article was "“Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them.” and the program to volunteer with Kids who suffer immediate family loss from Cancer similar to their mentors was Walk With Sally. Mel volunteers with Big Brother Big Sister. 

Books recommended by Alex include The Psychology of Money, The 10% entrepreneur as well as The Fear of Missing Out by her friend Patrick McGinnis, The Artist’s Way. For yoga check out Eastern Body, Western Mind, Anatomy of the Spirit, Light on Yoga, The Journey Home and Mel recommends The Radiance Sutras. For podcast recco check out Jay Shetty. Before you waste money on buying books: buy used! Or even better don't pay anything!! Save your money to invest it instead. Try using Overdrive to read for free. All you need is a library card which you can get for free! Write down and download all the book recommendations in this podcast for continued listening and exploration of this topic and expansion.

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