Project Candor: Ordinary People. Unexpected Stories

Jeanne Andersen
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals

Everyone has a story worth telling. On Project Candor, host Jeanne Andersen sits down with entrepreneurs, veterans, educators, creatives, leaders, and everyday people to explore the moments that shaped who they became.  Through thoughtful conversations and our signature Two Truths and a Lie segment, guests share authentic stories filled with unexpected turns, hard-earned lessons, humor, resilience, and hope.  Learn more at ProjectCandor.com

  1. 1d ago

    When AI Takes The Helm, with Stephanie Sylvestre | Ship's Log #33

    “Every disappointment is for the better.”  — Sylvia Sylvestre  Episode Summary  Stephanie Sylvestre builds digital twins — AI versions of real people that can keep talking, teaching, and advising long after a conversation ends, and even after a life does. In this episode she walks Jeanne through what her company actually does: AI agents and digital twins grounded in a private “data vault” so they stay accurate and resist hallucination, all built to amplify people rather than replace them.  From there the conversation ranges wide — preserving history “so your grandchildren's grandchildren can still interact with you,” using a twin as a judgment-free place to think, why banning AI is the lazy answer for nervous companies, and how purpose, chores, and kids today all tie back to the same question. It's threaded with real warmth, including the moment Jeanne's own teleprompter ate all her questions live on air — which turns out to prove Stephanie's whole point about tools that fail you versus technology that helps you think.  Then it's Two Truths & A Lie: seven homes built by women volunteers, a 90-mile bike ride down A1A, and a passion for swimming. One of those isn't what it seems. Stephanie closes with the line her mother drilled into her as a kid — every disappointment is for the better — and an invitation into her ever-growing “friend farm.”  Guest Bio  Stephanie Sylvestre is a technologist and entrepreneur who's spent a decade insisting that AI should make us more human, not less. She's the co-founder and CEO of Avatar Buddy, where her team builds digital twins — AI versions of real people, grounded in a private data vault so they stay accurate and trustworthy. Her mission is simple: use AI to preserve people's stories and help them be the best version of themselves.  Guest Links  Website:  https://avatarbuddy.ai/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-a-sylvestre/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/avatar_buddyai/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@AvatarBuddy TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@avatar_buddyai Guest CTA  “Stephanie doesn't just talk about AI—she brings it to life with stories, strategies, and a contagious sense of possibility.” Stephanie offers a free 30-minute AI consult — reach her on LinkedIn or at stephanie@avatarbuddy.ai.  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    When AI Takes The Helm, with Stephanie Sylvestre | Ship's Log #33

  2. Aug 6

    Shattered. Lost. Then Love, with Kerisma Vere | Ship's Log #32

    "Be the change you seek in the world." - Gandhi (paraphrased, as submitted by guest)   Episode Summary  Kerisma Vere didn't arrive at her work in holistic wellness coaching through a degree program or a tidy career pivot. She arrived through the long way — through a full nervous breakdown in 2018 that left her unable to remember who she was, unable to cook, unable to leave the house. She describes it like a brain injury: the person who had relied on her mind to get through everything suddenly had no access to any of it.  What followed was years of rebuilding — a relapse, emergency surgery when her colon ruptured, and a slow, non-linear climb back toward functioning. By early 2024, she says, she finally reached a place of genuine stability. Not the conditional stability she'd built before — tied to eighty pounds lost, a fitness routine, a coaching business, a marriage — but something quieter and more durable: a relationship with herself that doesn't depend on what she's doing or producing.   That's the heart of what Kerisma teaches: that real change doesn't come from pushing harder or setting the bar at perfect. It comes from meeting yourself where you are, steering the bus with all your parts still on board, and understanding that the future you will inherit whatever mess the present you makes. Her Two Truths and a Lie revealed a twist on what it took to write her first book — and brought the whole conversation to a warm, funny close.   Guest Bio  Kerisma Vere is a holistic wellness coach and author whose path through trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges became the foundation for her work. She's the author of The Light Switch Myth and its companion journal Ways I Showed Up for Myself, and the creator of the course From Pressure to Path. Her approach is non-prescriptive, compassionate, and built for real life — not the highlight reel.  Guest Links  Website:  https://towardswellness.ca/  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerisma-vere-a327428/  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/towards_wellness_coaching_/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/keri.vere  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@KerismaVere  TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kerismavere  Threads:  https://www.threads.com/@towards_wellness_coaching_    Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Shattered. Lost. Then Love, with Kerisma Vere | Ship's Log #32

  3. Jul 30

    Inside A Myth Maker's Mind with Peter Gunn | Ship's Log #31

    "A man is what he makes of himself." — Peter Gunn  Episode Summary  What happens inside the mind of someone who builds entire mythological universes? In this Ship’s Log, Jeanne sits down with Peter Gunn — a U.S. Air Force veteran who served twenty years, a bodybuilder, the lead guitarist of The Angellics, and a poet on a mission to bring epic poetry back from the past. Peter reveals that he writes every story backwards, starting from the ending he’s already seen in his mind.  The conversation dives into why the hero’s journey never grows old, how his daughter’s birth exposed the missing feminine voice in classic literature and sparked The Amazons series, and how he invented Linked-Lyrical-Poetry (LLP) — a rap-influenced poetic language built for Gen Z and Gen Alpha readers. Peter performs a passage live, explains how LLP is helping veterans with PTSD find focus, and shares how a contracted studio project accidentally became a band.  The episode closes with Two Truths & A Lie — and Peter’s three headlines include a childhood near-death experience, an invented poetic language, and a Mount Everest claim. Which one is made up? You’ll have to listen to the end.  Guest Bio  Peter Gunn is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served twenty years, an avid bodybuilder, and the lead guitarist for the band The Angellics. Inspired by his daughter, he wrote The Amazons series to restore the feminine voice in epic storytelling and invented a poetic format called Linked-Lyrical-Poetry to bring the classics to a new generation. His latest project is Sigma Squad, a graphic novel universe drawn from ancient texts.  Guest Links  Website: https://www.petergunn.net/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@petergunnpoetry The Angellics on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vECOl1UhrFzgnb1y7SFFT/discography/all Feature — Women’s Insider: https://womensinsider.com/peter-gunn-rewriting-the-heros-journey-for-women-through-epic-poetry/ Feature — Rolling Hype: https://rollinghype.com/from-poetry-to-power-ballads-the-renaissance-of-peter-gunn/ Guest CTA  Visit https://www.petergunn.net/ to see Peter’s current and upcoming projects — The Amazons, Sigma Squad, and new music from The Angellics (albums: Raising Hades and Elysium Fields).  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Inside A Myth Maker's Mind with Peter Gunn | Ship's Log #31

  4. Jul 23

    Sailing on Foot — 1,863 Miles with Rand Timmerman | Ship’s Log #30

    “I was taught at a very young age that I could cope with life and deal with almost anything – one step at a time.” – R. Timmerman Episode Summary  Rand Timmerman enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 after hearing a radio report in an upstate New York bar — and nine months later found himself in a rice paddy in Vietnam. Decades later, four years into recovery from alcoholism and carrying an artificial knee, he stood on top of Springer Mountain, Georgia in a blizzard at age 72, setting out to hike the Appalachian Trail with his 71-year-old brother, Ron.  In this Ship’s Log, Rand takes Jeanne from a frozen ten-foot standoff with the biggest black bear he’s ever seen, to five hours pinned inside a collapsing tent on a cliff edge in the Smokies, to the nightmares that followed him home from Vietnam and the recovery program that, in his words, gave him a whole new life — more joy at 80 than he ever had before. He walked 1,863 miles before a fall in Massachusetts ended his hike; Ron went on to finish all 2,200.  The conversation closes with the lesson Rand’s father — a polio survivor who built a 20-foot boat in the family basement — taught him as a boy: deal with what life gives you, then cope with it, one step at a time. And of course, Rand brings three headlines to Two Truths & A Lie that all sound too wild to be true.  Guest Bio  Rand Timmerman is a Marine Corps veteran, retired attorney, and author. Born in a small upstate New York village with more cows than people, he served with the 1st Marines in Vietnam before an unlikely path took him to JAG school. At 72, he hiked 1,863 miles of the Appalachian Trail with his brother and captured the journey — and his recovery story — in his book A Spiritual Passage.  Guest Links  Website: http://randtimmerman.com  Please visit Rand’s website, where the author discusses his book “A Spiritual Passage” and provides videos and other information about his journey.  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Sailing on Foot — 1,863 Miles with Rand Timmerman | Ship’s Log #30

  5. Jul 16

    Don't Fight. Sail On. with Dr. John Reaves | Ship's Log #29

    "The most important promotion you will ever earn is the one no one can give you. It begins the moment you stop waiting to be chosen and start choosing your own growth."  — John Reaves  Episode Summary  John Reaves spent decades doing everything the corporate world told him to do — building the resume, earning the credentials, staying late, and checking every box. And still, something was missing. In this episode of Project Candor, John shares the moment he realized he had outsourced his own definition of progress — and what happened when he took it back.  From three layoffs across a 30-year career to refusing to shred documents that could have cost him his job, John brings honesty and hard-won perspective to questions most professionals are afraid to ask themselves. He and Jeanne dig into what it means to separate identity from position, why health has to come before hustle, and what really changes when you stop waiting to be chosen.  And in Two Truths & A Lie — John accidentally reveals the answer before Jeanne even has a chance to guess. The real story he hid behind the lie is worth the whole episode.  Guest Bio  John A. Reaves, PhD, is a corporate executive and the author of The Real Promotion — a book for professionals who are ready to stop waiting for permission and start defining success for themselves. After years chasing credentials and titles, he made a pivotal discovery: the most important promotion you'll ever earn is the one no one can give you.   Guest Links  Website: https://www.johnareaves.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-reaves/ YouTube:    Guest CTA  Visit https://johnareaves.com to learn more about The Real Promotion, access career development resources, watch short leadership videos, and connect with John directly.  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Don't Fight. Sail On. with Dr. John Reaves | Ship's Log #29

  6. Jul 9

    Held at Gunpoint. Never Surrendered. with Regina Huber | Ship's Log #28

    "Uncertainty and chaos aren't something to avoid — It's where freedom lives, and possibilities multiply."  — Regina Huber  Episode Summary  Regina Huber has lived and worked across five continents — Germany, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, the US, and France — picking up languages, partner dances, and hard-won leadership lessons along the way. In this episode, she sits down with Jeanne Andersen to talk about what it really means to make a bold move, why "reinventing yourself" is a myth, and why your next chapter is already inside you.   Regina talks about leaving a BCG career to open a bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires when the whole city was moving in the other direction, how embodiment and dance have shaped her approach to leadership and presence, and the blind spots she sees again and again in even the most successful leaders. She also makes the case that uncertainty isn't a threat to manage — it's where freedom actually lives.  And then there's the game. Two Truths and a Lie brings three wild headlines from Regina's life: a teenage hitchhiking trip from Bavaria to Amsterdam, a gun pressed to her head in Rio de Janeiro, and years of marathon training cut short just one week before race day. Only two of them happened. Listen to find out which one didn't.   Guest Bio  Regina Huber is a transformational leadership coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who has built her life and career across five continents. She's the founder of Transform Your Performance and creator of the T.H.R.I.V.I.N.G. Leader Formula™, helping leaders and entrepreneurs lead with courage, authenticity, and freedom.   Guest Links  Website:  https://www.transformyourperformance.com  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginahuber/  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@reginahuber  Linktree:  https://transformyourperformance.com/sociallinks  Guest CTA  Ready to ditch outdated leadership paradigms? With my free guide Lead With Edge, you will discover how to shift to making bold moves. The T.H.R.I.V.I.N.G. Leader Formula™ helps you lead with freedom and authenticity, as a thriving leader with a thriving team, so you can stop playing small, break free from unnecessary stress, and create lasting results — without sacrificing your well-being or your team's trust.   CTA Link:  https://transformyourperformance.com/leadwithedge  Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Held at Gunpoint. Never Surrendered. with Regina Huber | Ship's Log #28

  7. Jul 2

    Can Dementia Be Delayed? with Lisa Skinner | Ship's Log #27

    "They may not recognize your face. They may not know your name — depending on the day. But they will remember for a long time how you made them feel." — Lisa Skinner  Episode Summary  What does it actually mean when a doctor says 'Alzheimer's'? Lisa Skinner has spent 50 years answering that question — first as a teenage granddaughter watching her grandmother describe birds living in her mattress, and later as one of the world's leading dementia behavioral specialists. In this episode, she cuts through five decades of myth and fear with the clarity that only comes from having lived it.  Lisa unpacks the difference between normal aging forgetfulness and the early warning signs that actually warrant concern — and she names the medical conditions (including a UTI) that can look exactly like dementia but are completely treatable. She explains why 62% of primary care physicians are still behind the curve, and why that makes patient self-advocacy more critical than ever. The conversation goes deep on one of the most painful moments in the dementia journey: when a loved one no longer recognizes you — and Lisa's 'light switch' analogy may permanently change the way you understand it.  They also play Two Truths and a Lie — and it turns out Lisa's life has included a pet mountain lion, a near-miss with a rattlesnake, and a hike that may or may not have ended in a lake in Tahoe. Jeanne guesses right.   Guest Bio  Lisa Skinner is a two-time international bestselling author and behavioral specialist with over 30 years of experience in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, host of the Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's Show, and an internationally recognized TEDx speaker. She has appeared in Forbes Celebrity Magazine and on the NASDAQ Times Square display.   Guest Links  Website: https://www.dementiaawarenessspeaker.com/ Website: https://www.mindingdementia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaSkinnerAuthor/ X / Twitter: https://x.com/LisaSkinner2015 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaskinnerauthor/ YouTube: Lisa Skinner https://www.youtube.com/@LisaSkinnerOfficial Guest CTA  LEARN MORE about Dementia:  https://www.dementiaawarenessspeaker.com/ https://www.mindingdementia.com/ Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Can Dementia Be Delayed? with Lisa Skinner | Ship's Log #27

  8. Jun 25

    Steady Hands on the Helm with Jim Carlough | Ship's Log #26

    "The biggest lie in business is that leaders are born that way."  - Jim Carlough Episode Summary What makes someone a leader? According to Jim Carlough, it isn't talent, title, or personality. It's a skill that must be developed over time. In this candid conversation, Jim reflects on the mistakes that shaped him early in his career and the lessons that eventually led him to identify six principles that have guided his leadership approach for decades. As the discussion unfolds, Jeanne and Jim explore what integrity, empathy, and compassion look like in practice. Rather than speaking in theory, Jim shares deeply personal stories about supporting employees through difficult life situations, helping team members navigate uncertainty, and carrying responsibility when others needed stability most. The conversation highlights the often-overlooked human side of leadership and why trust remains the foundation of strong teams. The episode wraps up with a spirited round of Two Truths and a Lie, featuring public office, a celebrity encounter, and one story that sounds just believable enough to be true. It's a fitting end to a conversation filled with wisdom, humor, and a reminder that great leaders are built one decision at a time. Guest Bio Jim Carlough spent more than 30 years transforming teams and developing leaders across organizations of every size. He distilled that experience into The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership - a practical roadmap built on integrity, accountability, and the belief that leadership is earned, not inherited. He is a speaker, strategist, and the author who challenges the biggest lie in business.  Guest Links  Website:  http://www.jimcarlough.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jimcarloughms Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jimcarloughms LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/jimcarloughms X / Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jimcarloughms Who do you know who'd make a great guest for the show? Please let us know. Email: info@projectcandor.com Website:   https://www.projectcandor.com Social Media Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ProjectCandor/ LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectcandor/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/project.candor/ YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectCandorPodcast

    Steady Hands on the Helm with Jim Carlough | Ship's Log #26
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About

Everyone has a story worth telling. On Project Candor, host Jeanne Andersen sits down with entrepreneurs, veterans, educators, creatives, leaders, and everyday people to explore the moments that shaped who they became.  Through thoughtful conversations and our signature Two Truths and a Lie segment, guests share authentic stories filled with unexpected turns, hard-earned lessons, humor, resilience, and hope.  Learn more at ProjectCandor.com

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