Now Is Life

Rima Kawas
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement

Are you living the life you want? Now Is Life is a podcast about people who bet on themselves — career pivots, bold life changes, and goals everyone said were crazy. Hosted by leadership advisor, global strategist, and keynote speaker Rima Kawas, who has explored over 60 countries and is still chasing new goals, this channel brings you authentic, coffee shop-style conversations. We dive into their stories and pull out the lessons they learned along the way. Because inspiration is all around us, from the neighbor next door to global visionaries. Plus short "energy boosts" — actionable tips and mindset shifts to keep you motivated throughout your day. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

Episodes

  1. Sep 25

    From Ballet to International Relations: How to Let Curiosity Lead the Way

    María has had an interesting professional path of — classical ballet, law, a life in international relations. This is a conversation about what becomes possible when you follow your curiosity and not being afraid to fail. There's also the best argument for giving yourself permission not to finish a book. 📩 Read the companion piece and join the Now Is Life newsletter → https://rimakawas.substack.com/?utm_source=youtube In this episode: 00:00 — "you're actually average" 00:33 — Meet María Fernández García 01:28 — At six years old: astronaut, banker, hotel receptionist 02:27 — What anchors a career 03:31 — Fail fast, fail forward 03:59 — "You're actually average" — permission, not an insult 05:20 — Permission to not finish the book 06:00 — What ballet gave her: being one in many 08:30 — "María, open your eyes" 11:03 — Never better communications, never more isolated 11:44 — How she defines leadership 16:26 — "That's your story" — owning a nonlinear path 17:33 — Letting go of the dream 17:54 — Training herself to be present 19:26 — How you know when to let something go 22:56 — This is not the last decision you'll ever make 23:58 — Closing: today is the day About the show Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima Listen on any podcast app: 🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen Connect: Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/ Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/ #NowIsLife #Reinvention #Listening #GlobalCareers #Podcast

  2. Sep 25

    From Politics to Academia to Nonprofit: Following His North Star

    From Louisiana to Iowa, Dr. Joseph Jones has built an intentional career across politics, academia, and a nonprofit. Through a doctorate, a Senate office, a governor's office, and a policy institute, every pivot in his leadership journey has been guided by a deep commitment to public service. Driven by curiosity and a mindset as a lifelong learner, he kept an unwavering focus on his goals, stepping into new opportunities when they aligned with his vision. In this episode, Dr. Jones shares how he checks his direction and follows his North Star. 📩 Read the companion essay and subscribe free → https://rimakawas.substack.com/?utm_source=youtube In this episode: 00:00 Following the North Star 00:37 Meet Dr. Joseph Jones 01:58 Louisiana to Iowa: the field trip that became a move 03:36 Field trip vs. leap 04:11 Eight-year-old Joseph: who speaks for your family? 05:51 Where you actually start: Model UN and stuffing envelopes 07:15 Why leaders are usually just neighbors 07:48 A doctorate, for no reason except curiosity 09:45 Getting comfortable with not knowing things 10:18 International delegations, and what shapes a worldview 11:05 A stranger's front door in rural Iowa 13:00 Bridging divides: put the phone down 14:07 The nod in the grocery store 14:45 Many pivots, one North Star 16:15 The work at United Way of Central Iowa 17:53 "When did you decide?" — two moments 19:27 Closing: one person, today About the show Now Is Life is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration isn't out there with the famous and the historical. It's next door. It's in the conversation you haven't started yet. Listen on any podcast app 🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen Connect Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/ Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/ Dr. Joseph Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-jones-5575732a/ New episodes monthly. #NowIsLife #PublicService #CivicEngagement #Reinvention #Podcast

  3. Aug 6

    The Don't-Flinch Moment: a Hollywood reinvention story about going for it.

    Have you ever hit a wall in your career and thought, "What now?" Jack Stahlmann knows the feeling. After years of grinding in Los Angeles as an actor, a moment of career panic forced him to completely rethink his path. ✍️ Read the deeper takeaways on Substack: https://rimakawas.substack.com/ In this episode of Now Is Life, Rima sits down with Jack (better known as the "Don't Flinch" guy) to talk about navigating those professional crossroads. Jack shares some incredible stories from his Hollywood days—including how a broken copier led to a friendship with Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper), and how handling a frustrating customer return at Sears landed him a role on Days of Our Lives. It’s an honest conversation about stepping out of your comfort zone, figuring out what you actually want to do, and why the best things happen when you simply refuse to flinch. 📌 Episode Chapters 00:00 — "Sometimes we're jealous of things we're not even jealous of" 00:35 — Welcome + meet Jack Stahlmann 02:13 — Where it started: a prank and a show choir sign-up sheet 04:27 — The two people who changed the trajectory 05:52 — Career panic: "I had run my course" 06:44 — Actor vs. performer, and why they're different 09:42 — The agent who said "go find a job you hate" 10:50 — The danger zone: a job you can just tolerate 11:31 — Three panics a year: the speaking business 12:38 — There is no professional finish line 13:12 — Why he quit social media 14:06 — Do you like your now? 14:48 — The freest he's ever felt: driving to LA with nothing lined up 15:50 — Kinko's, Mr. Belding, and a jammed copier 16:37 — The don't-flinch moment 17:52 — How to actually get into speaking 18:52 — Days of Our Lives, and a customer return at Sears 20:48 — Where "don't flinch" came from 21:35 — Every success story starts with a moment 22:29 — Closing About the show Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima Listen on any podcast app: 🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen Connect: Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/ Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/ 🔗 Connect with Jack Stahlmann: dontflinchguy.com #NowIsLife #Podcast #Dontflinchguy

  4. Aug 6

    How She Did It. Local TV Reporter to covering The White House.

    Alison Schafer covered Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court — then pivoted to teaching, went back for a master's, and reinvented herself again as an international trainer. This is a conversation about building a profession by saying yes before you can see where it leads. 📩 Read the companion essay and join the Now Is Life newsletter → https://rimakawas.substack.com/ We talk about the surprising life skills of waiting tables, why great journalists actually root for each other, the deepfake that fooled her, the one writing habit almost everyone gets wrong, and an interviewer's oldest trick: silence. An honest, lively conversation about reinvention, curiosity, and giving yourself grace when the path refuses to be a straight line. In this episode: 00:00 — "Give yourself a little grace" 00:43 — Welcome / meet Alison Schafer 02:11 — Three careers, and the waitressing years 03:42 — Clues in what you don't want to do 04:03 — Taking an honest inventory of yourself 05:53 — Climbing the TV markets: Fort Myers to Washington 07:10 — Seasons of life, and staying neutral 07:39 — Liking people whose politics you don't share 08:41 — Post-pandemic isolation, and the collegial newsroom 10:21 — The pivot to teaching — wanting a life 11:22 — A master's, and "say you're an expert long enough" 12:45 — Career three: international work, and a Ukrainian helicopter 13:26 — What makes training work 15:02 — What Craigslist did to journalism 16:12 — Deepfakes: "I can't tell on my own" 17:27 — Why AI writing leaves her cold 18:08 — The hardest part of writing is thinking 19:22 — Media literacy, and Great Aunt Tilly 20:17 — Two interview secrets (one is silence) 21:47 — Advice to her younger self: patience and grace 23:33 — The now-is-life question: "I was just in it" 26:05 — "Did I have a plan? Not really" 26:31 — Closing About the show Now Is Life with Rima is about the people who bet on themselves — career pivots, wild new hobbies, goals everyone called crazy — and the moment they decided to go for it. From global visionaries to your next-door neighbor, host Rima finds the real story behind the leap. Because inspiration is right next door. It's in the conversation you haven't had yet. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima Listen on any podcast app: 🎧 https://theconnectorsgroup.com/podcasts/?src=yt#nil-listen Connect: Rima on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rimakawas/ Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/ Alison Schafer — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-schafer Interscribe: https://www.interscribe.agency/ New episodes every other week. #NowIsLife #Reinvention #Journalism #Podcast

  5. Season 1 Trailer

    Now Is Life — Watch this first

    Are you living the life you want? Now Is Life is a podcast about people who bet on themselves — career pivots, bold life changes, and goals everyone said were crazy. Hosted by leadership advisor, global strategist, and keynote speaker Rima Kawas, who has explored over 60 countries and is still chasing new goals, this channel brings you authentic, coffee shop-style conversations. We dive into their stories and pull out the lessons they learned along the way. Because inspiration is all around us, from the neighbor next door to global visionaries. Plus short "energy boosts" — actionable tips and mindset shifts to keep you motivated throughout your day. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima 📩 Join the Now Is Life Substack— essays and episodes in your inbox https://rimakawas.substack.com/ ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@NowisLifeWithRima Connect Rima / The Connectors Group: https://theconnectorsgroup.com/ #NowIsLife #inspiration #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #Podcast

  • 1 Trailer
    4 Episodes

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Are you living the life you want? Now Is Life is a podcast about people who bet on themselves — career pivots, bold life changes, and goals everyone said were crazy. Hosted by leadership advisor, global strategist, and keynote speaker Rima Kawas, who has explored over 60 countries and is still chasing new goals, this channel brings you authentic, coffee shop-style conversations. We dive into their stories and pull out the lessons they learned along the way. Because inspiration is all around us, from the neighbor next door to global visionaries. Plus short "energy boosts" — actionable tips and mindset shifts to keep you motivated throughout your day. "Life isn't just about where we're going. It's about the now. It's about living in the moment." - Rima

Information

  • Creator
    Rima Kawas
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rima Kawas
  • Show Website
    Now Is Life