Becoming Your Best Version Maria Leonard Olsen

After a difficult divorce, Barb Scala, who is an attorney, launched an online platform called "Bloom," along with an online radio show/podcast. She began by interviewing some famous and dynamic women and hosted events, conferences, and an online community. She also coached women in transition, especially during and after divorce, and co-authored Sanity Savers: Tips for Women to Live a Balanced Life, with Today Show guest psychologist Dr. Dale Atkins. 

Her online platform morphed into a lifestyle brand and she spun off a food blog and television segments. But she was overworked, stressed and overwhelmed, and wanted more financial security. So, she gave up on her dream and returned to practice law again. But her dream didn’t die.

She relaunched with her website, BloomWithBarb.com, and her mission reflects her story -- to help women after divorce, and other life changes, like empty nesting and second act careers, learn how to live life on their terms and bloom!

As a transition life coach, CDC certified divorce & transformation coach, lawyer/mediator, entrepreneur and author, she loves inspiring wonderful women to move forward to a vibrant life they deserve. In the process, they feel more balanced, open up to new possibilities, burst with clarity and creativity, thrive in their relationships, and are more fulfilled than they have been in years.

Barb, who also is a master gardener, helps her clients plant seeds, for which she uses the acronym BLOOM. B is for believing in oneself and cultivating a positive mindset; L is for loving what one does; O is for owning one's power and recognizing one's self-worth; the second O is to organize/know one's direction; and M is to move forward and take the necessary action steps. She also helps clients with combatting the weeds that continue to come in life, by providing tools to deal with such things, as distortions that arise.

Barb works hard to walk toward love and away from fear. She believes it is a choice -- to choose to stay present, accept and let go.

Go to her website to book a free discovery call and learn how Barb can help you bloom. Barb is based on the New England shore.

Learn more: 

Web: www.BloomwithBarb.com

Email: barb@bloomwithbarb.com

Instagram: @bloomwithbarb

Facebook: @bloomwithbarb

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbscala/


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Rachel Lankester is an ageism disrupter, midlife mentor and founder of Magnificent Midlife, an online hub inspiring and supporting women 40+. She's the author of Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause and Beyond, which was recommended as one of seven top books about menopause in The New York Times. She's also the host of the ⁠Magnificent Midlife Podcast⁠ and founder of MenoClarity, an online information hub about menopause, which she started because she felt there was too much scaremongering, hype and fear in current menopause narratives, especially in the UK. 

From Rachel:

"When I was 41, I was given a diagnosis of early menopause. I was hoping for a second child at the time, so it was pretty devastating. It meant the end of my fertility and dreams of that baby. It also catapulted me into a period of intense self-doubt, sadness and feeling very lost. I had no idea why this had happened to me, nor how to take care of myself.  I also allowed the diagnosis to completely change my perception of who I was as a woman.  I saw myself as a dried-up old prune!

Over time I discovered that diet, lifestyle and mindset can massively impact perimenopausal hormonal change and for a short time my menstrual cycle and premenopausal hormone levels came back. 

I also eventually realized I am no less of a woman because I am older, even though society likes to tell me that on a daily basis. Looking around, I couldn't find resources to help me, so I created them. I didn't want women to arrive in perimenopause as unprepared, disconcerted and sad as me. 

I didn't want any perimenopausal woman to feel this was the beginning of the end, as I did. I want women to see the magnificence in midlife and menopause, and to feel empowered to embrace what may be the best stage of their lives yet. 

I now spend my time challenging negative sexist, ageist stereotypes and narratives wherever and whenever I can. I help women get the messy midlife stuff sorted, so you can create and sustain a next chapter that will excite and delight you long term. 

I'm passionate about helping women navigate the often messy middle of life. So you can thrive not just survive. And become the woman you were always meant to be. 

I believe the older and more experienced we get, the more we have to offer the world and especially those women coming up behind us.  We get better with age not worse. 

I don't believe in denying we're getting older or hiding it either. I'm not ashamed to be a midlife woman. I'm proud of it. I think I've earned those midlife stripes just as much as I've earned the laughter lines around my eyes. They don't diminish me in any way."

Rachel is passionate about enabling women to create and live a positive new narrative when it comes to midlife, menopause, and ageing. She's also determined to challenge the status quo and bash negative stereotypes associated with women 40+.

Rachel's motto is to be "prepared, not scared," as she challenges the negativity bias in the west surrounding aging. She reminds us that "menopause is temporary; it's a tunnel, not a cave." Rachel advises listeners to stay curious and to listen to our bodies, especially during menopause, a sensitive time in our lives when we may reconsider what may no longer be serving our health and wellbeing.

Websites:https://magnificentmidlife.com/https://themuttonclub.com/https://menoclarity.com/

Magnificent Midlife Podcast:

⁠https://magnificentmidlife.com/podcast/⁠

Rachel's book:  ⁠https://magnificentmidlife.com/book/⁠

Social media links:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/magnificentmidlife/

Twitter/ X | https://twitter.com/MagnifMidlife

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/magnificentmidlife

Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellankester/

Pinterest | https://www.pinterest.co.uk/MagnificentMidlife1/

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEteu6Z2mW1z1wnHiVB08uw


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Many adults today experience insecurity around water. Cori Myka addresses the underlying fears approximately half of adults have today about being in the water. She transforms adult non-swimmers from fearful beginners into confident achievers of their wildest aquatic aspirations. Featured on NPR and in USA Today, Cori is the founder of Calm Within Adult Swim and the creator of the Foundations of Change learning method. With more than two decades of experience, her unique approach to adult swimming lessons combines mental conditioning with physical skill mastery, resulting in highly acclaimed teaching methods. Cori's influence extends beyond the pool, shaping everyday lives. She helps students understand the difference between one's brain warnings and physiological needs.

Cori points out that during typical foundational swim lessons what is missing is how to understand how one's emotions may cause panic. Cori begins her swim lessons with the mental side of being comfortable in the water, which involves satisfying the brain that one is safe and coming back to a feeling of safety. She helps students create space between the mental idea of a problem and how one responds. She notes that we often receive messaging that if we practice physical skills enough, we should be able to execute such skills perfectly. That, however, is not enough; most of us need to address the mental side of the equation as well, especially when fear is involved.

She imparts her wisdom to students and instructors at Orca Swim School in Seattle, virtually and in person. One of her students from South Dakota learned to overcome fear of water online with Cori. He quipped that all he needed was a phone, a lifeguarded pool and a good attitude to complete Cori's course successfully online. Cori supported this client before, during and after his swims at his local community center, both via her school's modules and with personal coaching.

Cori also offers personalized and tropical retreats, with the next one scheduled for Maui, Hawaii in September. Enter her drawing this Saturday for early bird enrollees by going to her website, below, for free gifts.

In this episode, Cori addresses, among other things, how 45% of people are afraid of the water, and what underlies this fear, as well as the role mindset plays in learning to swim. Cori maintains that it is never too late to start learning, and taking lessons can provide you with the confidence, safety, and ease you need to enjoy the water. Her lessons are specifically designed to cater to adult learners, taking into account their unique learning styles and abilities. Many of her clients are in their 70s, though she helps people of all ages learn how to enjoy the water. Maybe some of our listeners will learn how to participate with confidence in all the aquatic activities you used to sit out! 

Learn more:

https://adultswimlesson.com/

cori@orcaswimschool.com

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

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cori-myka-62314a18/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/adultswimlesson

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUs_T6vPOPkbYOqr5mmt2GQ

Free Intro Class:

https://online.adultswimlesson.com/courses/calm-within-introduction-class?ref=08bfb8


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Sweta Sansara, a Nepalese woman, is a passionate advocate against the stigmas surrounding alcoholism, mental health, food addiction, and related issues. With 17 years of sobriety and profound personal healing, she is dedicated to sharing her journey to inspire and support others in their paths to mental wellness and holistic healing.

Sweta is the first person from Nepal to join the U.S. armed forces. She joined the U.S. Marines at age 18 and spent two and a half years serving the United States. She then studied theater and pursued an acting career in Los Angeles, while working at the tony Beverly Hills Hotel, attending Oscar parties, meeting Diana Ross, John Stamos, Stanley Tucci and other big names in the business, before feeling called to return to the east coast, where her immediate family resides.

Sweta shares the darkest parts of her journey and relatable experiences online that give thousands of people hope. She offers resources to those struggling with addiction, and will start her own podcast, Wild & Free in Recovery, in April 2024.

Sweta, who begins each day sitting in meditation, is raising two wonderful children in the Washington, DC area. She is the founder of the Nepal Youth Fund, which brings resources to schools in small villages of Nepal, and on whose board I serve. My life, and those of many others, are blessed having Sweta in their lives.

Learn more at
www.Sweta.com⁠

Follow Sweta at:

Instagram: @Sweta 

YouTube @SwetaSansara


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Virginia (Ginnie) Isaacs Cover has worked throughout her career with children and adults with complex medical conditions and developmental disabilities. She is an advocate for those with disabilities and their families and published a widely read guidebook for those affected by X and Y chromosome variations. She explores the impact of a prenatal diagnosis on a young family in her new book, Supplemental Needs: A Novel.

Ginnie became a “special needs parent” when her younger son was diagnosed prenatally with 47,XXY, also known as Klinefelter syndrome. Although sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) is more common than Down syndrome at an estimated 1 in 400 live births, it is recognized and properly diagnosed in fewer than 25 percent of the affected population. She became a passionate advocate for families affected by disabilities, including the X and Y chromosome variations, and provides educational programs for families and professionals who work with this population.

In 2012, she published Living with Klinefelter Syndrome, Trisomy X, and 47,XYY. The book provides clear explanations of the genetics involved, as well as diagnosis, disclosure, development from infancy through potential health and fertility issues, and educational and psycho-social considerations. This guidebook has helped thousands of people grow their understanding of this condition.

She believes it is equally important for literature to cover the emotional impact that prenatal testing has on parents while also improving early identification of X and Y chromosome conditions. She felt this could only be done through the sharing of stories. Her goal in writing the novel was to explore the impact of a prenatal genetic diagnosis on a young family who decides to continue a pregnancy despite a medical geneticist’s advice.

Supplemental Needs: A Novel portrays a young family whose lives change on learning through prenatal genetic diagnosis that their baby will have Klinefelter syndrome, most likely causing some degree of disability, as well as infertility and possible sexuality issues.

In this episode, Ginnie speaks about prenatal counseling; termination of pregnancy when chromosomal variations exist; societal acceptance of KS, the neurodiverse, LGBTQ individuals and how it has changed over time; and attitudes in Judaism toward LGBTQ individuals and why these are so different across the branches (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox)

Supplemental Needs incorporates accurate information and creates needed conversation around what we each believe about continuing a pregnancy where there may be some level of disability, or when there may be a slightly elevated rate of homosexuality, or of gender dysphoria. Readers gain greater awareness and understanding about the parental experience of when a child is not following a typical developmental trajectory, familiarizing the public with sex chromosome aneuploidy in a non-sensational manner.

"I want readers to experience the sadness, fear, and hopefulness felt by [the characters] as they wrestle with the choices that must be made, and the impact they have on their son, and their family," Ginnie says. "Through the characters and events, readers will also confront the research suggesting that sexual orientation and identity may be heavily influenced by DNA."

Ginnie lives in the Washington, D.C., metro area and has two adult sons and three grandchildren. She volunteers through her synagogue for the Interfaith Refugee Support group. She also is a board member for L’Arche Long Island, a non-profit agency providing housing for adults with developmental disabilities, vocational and life skills training. Ginnie holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan.

Learn more at VirginiaCover.com

https://www.facebook.com/virginia.cover


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Chwynyn (pronounced “Quinin”) Vaughan is a proponent of slow beauty and its benefits to our all-over physical, mental and spiritual health, and to skin health in particular. She has a background in midwifery, health care and design. A deep love for botanicals has woven its way through each of these experiences, enriching every step of her path.

These experiences, along with her passion for plants, led to Chwynyn blending wise woman wisdom and sound science to create handcrafted skin care products offered through her creation, Slow Botanicals. She believes that, when authentic, beauty can bring out the best of who we are, treating our body as a temple. Beauty, Chywnyn says, is linked to how we live our lives, and influenced by our spiritual and mental health.

Each of Chwynyn's products is made in small batches from botanicals she harvests in the wild and picks from her organic garden. To make the cut, botanicals included must heal and nourish sensitive, dry and aging skin. As these products are meant for the most sensitive of skin, the hand-picked flowers, leaves, mushrooms, lichens and seeds are combined only with the shortest list possible of pure ingredients. A lifetime of unhealthy care products alongside changing hormones make this essential for your health.

Chwynyn knows that healthy skin are not only dependent on what you put on your skin, and so she encourages the practice of slow beauty. Chwynyn says that "slow beauty is closely related to slow living. By making daily choices that stem from a slow beauty perspective, you will enjoy improved physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Your days will feel better. You’ll appreciate yourself more." Slow living is creating a life based on what truly matters, noticing every moment with one's senses and inside the body, staying present and living with integrity, with a strong environmental outlook.

Chwynyn lives on a small peninsula in Washington State, just a short walk from both beach and forest, with her artist-husband and two young children. In the garden surrounding their home, Chwynyn grows around 95% of her family’s fruit and veggies for the entire year. The beautiful herb and flower garden provide ingredients for her botanical skincare products and let her bring cut flowers into the home. Equally important, these blooms feed the many pollinators in her garden.

Chwynyn sells her pure botanically infused skin care products at slowbotanicals.com. You will also find Chwynyn’s insights on slow beauty and skin care on her blog.

Website: slowbotanicals.com  https://www.slowbotanicals.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chwynyn-vaughan-slow-botanicals2171a1281/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slow.botanicals/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChwynynPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/slowbotanicals/


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