Power of the Pivot Podcast Susan Salzman

I have two sets of friends - those that cook and those that don't.

There is minimal grey area when it comes to what goes on in the kitchen.

I, as you know, love to be in the kitchen. I delegate many other things, but cooking is not one of them.

As a former food blogger, I am in awe of those in the food blogging community who found their way to massive monetization.

My guest this week, Micah Siva, has done just that - and so much more. And the best part about it is that she has only been at this game for about six years. Her passion, grit, and tenacious spirit have paid off, and being the Everready bunny that could - she has accomplished so much.

But what makes Micah genuinely unique is how specific her niche is. Her plant-based recipes are all inspired by modern Jewish culture, and I have to tell you - I cannot wait to get her book to make her meatless brisket. I know that doesn't make sense, but I am intrigued.

Micah and I talk about so much. We talk about food, recipe development, and how blogging has changed so much in recent years. But we also get into the current state of affairs.

And as Jewish women and moms(and mom-to-be), how passionate and proud we are to be Jews. Not only will this episode make you hungry, but with Hannukah right around the corner, you might be inspired to whip a batch of Sufganiyot (Israeli doughnuts).

Episode Highlights
05:48 | How to monetize one's creative outlet
06:12 | The power of perseverance and not allowing failure to stop you
08:30 | The power of networking and putting yourself out there - even when it's uncomfortable
12:31 | Diversifying income streams and exploring various avenues to maximize financial stability
15:55 | Embracing a specific niche to stand out in a crowded playing field
17:36 | Staying authentic to who you are will ultimately protect your mental health
24:56 | Doing a self-published Jewish children’s cookbook became an excellent way to connect with the community.
35:54 | Jews are the O.G.’s of dairy replacements and how creating vegan, Jewish recipes was not that challenging.

Links:
Micah Instagram here
Micah Website here
1-2-3 Nosh With Me here
Nosh: Plant-based recipes celebrating modern Jewish cuisine (presale) here


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As someone who prefers to smoke my buzz, I am not surprised by how mainstream it's becoming.

Although still very much an uncomfortable or taboo subject, I would say that 90% of those in my inner sphere eat some dose of edible, have a favorite strain of Indica or Sativa, or even grow it.

This week on the podcast, I sit down with the CEO of Tokin Jew, a full-fledged loud and proud stoner who has found a beautiful and humourous way to merge Judaism and Cannabis.

We get candid about the stigma surrounding Cannabis and how we see that changing. With the conversations getting louder and louder around micro-dosing and other mind-altering options, Cannabis is becoming a topic of choice.

Because of that, Tokin' Jew is not only creating an incredibly creative line of products developed from a Jewish perspective, but their Instagram feed is worthy of serious "laugh out loud" moments. For that reason, he is creating a community of like-minded, engaged humans. This movement has grown from a few thousand on Instagram to over 37k in just under a year.

From a business strategist POV, that's some pretty incredible metrics.

Whether you are into Cannabis or not, I feel you will enjoy this episode. You will learn how one straight-A, very driven college student and D1-national soccer star tapped into his creative and entrepreneurial side from his dorm room and not only landed a tremendous mainstream job but is also building an unconventional business at the same time.

Highlights:
5:05|How to not be one dimensional and merge passion and play to create community.
5:45|Overcoming adversity and finding your identity.
7:15|Creating Token Jew as a community of half-stoners and half-Jews who have found the intersection between cannabis and Judaism.
9:58|Being in the flux of the changing perception of cannabis from a taboo subject to a normalized one.
13:01|How lighting a joint and then lighting the menorah led the founder and his buddy to the 3D lab where the first product was born.
16:38|How to embrace being a straight-A student, a D1 Soccer star, and a stoner.
18:12|The birth of being an entrepreneur started at age 10 with a rolling list of ideas.
24:41|Parents and grandparents are coming out of the closet and admitting to embracing the cannabis trends and helping to normalize it.
25:15|The stigma around cannabis, a plant that grows out of the ground compared to other plants like carrots and asparagus.
27:07|The benefits of having a side project that unlocks a different part of their brain, making their day-to-day work more accessible and more enjoyable.
29:01|Judaism is the religion of curiosity.
30:29 |Learning when to shut down and who to shut out in order to avoid burnout.
31:34|Don’t share your idea with anybody yet, some people love to detract people.
33:30|Without the community, Tokin Jew would not be Tokin Jew.
34:23|Taking Tokin Jew to this beautiful, modern brand that is rooted in community.
40:29|Fall back on your instincts.
44:07|Using your intuition, finding a loyal person, remain super loyal to them.

Links:
Tokin’ Jew Instagram here 
Tokin’ Jew Website here
Tokin’ Jew OneTable here
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We all have people around us who can and will support us - even when unsure of what kind of support we need. 

That's precisely what Sheryl Wachtel and I discussed in this week's podcast episode. Conversation, collaboration, and community are top of mind, and because the landscape of our world is causing such elevated anxiety - we are searching for ways to calm the F down!

One way that Sheryl and I are doing that is by bringing women together in small, intimate settings where we re-examine how we see ourselves in the world.

In this episode, you will learn why we are passionate about raising every woman's vibration to the highest level. And we have witnessed that many magical things can happen when you get people in a room craving a non-judgemental place to express themselves.

Episode Highlights:
6:57|Women crave a space to open up and be themselves without judgment.
9:13|Connecting with your own story is an opportunity to be your most authentic self.
10:07|A photo of your current self is just as valuable as a photo of your younger self.
12:12|What it takes to craft a beautiful origin story - in 7 simple steps.
15:30|Being at a live event creates an infectious excitement.
23:49|Building new relationships is a domino effect for more relationships.
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When the universe is speaking to you, paying attention is essential.

No one knows this better than my weekly guest, Shirley Lipner, psychic medium and clarity coach. Her gift teaches her clients to recognize what’s already inside them.

Shirley has always been curious. And that curiosity has allowed her to be fearless in her many pursuits. Whether it was a random opportunity to travel to Cannes, France, with a group of young adults, to manifesting her meeting with Roger Ebert, to starting a quirky show on Public Access Radio back in the 90s. Shirley always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Today, we talk about all of that, but more importantly, she is sharing with us how to pay attention to your intuition and listen to your gut - even when it’s quiet. Shirley is not just a psychic - she’s a healer. Tune in and be inspired!

Episode Highlights:
4:06 | Being curious and asking questions led her to be a psychic medium
5:56 | Everything one does in life will lead one to their destination
9:33 | How she manifested meeting her idol in a random cafe in France
15:44 | Becoming a mother opened up opportunities to be a radio host
20:20 | When you can tap into your intuition, doors open up all around you
22:03 | Why the ’60s are the F*ck - it years
23:57 | Being a psychic is being used to help others heal from their childhood  trauma and more
26:54 |  Be the change that you want to see
30:57 | Find the balance between your health and your work
35:51 | A good belly laugh heals all wounds
38:48 | Always finding the funniness in situations.

Links:
Shirley Lipner's Website here
Shirley Lipner's Instagram here
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Relationships and friendships are rooted in my emotional state. They can easily affect how I feel or don’t feel. And because so many of mine have stood the test of time, I take them very seriously.

It was both this article and my new position at OneTable that sparked this week's podcast episode. This quote, in particular, struck a chord with me:

"Countless studies in the last several decades have revealed information about longevity that may surprise you: Social connections don't just improve your life emotionally, but physically and psychologically as well."

There was no better person to have this conversation with than my long-time best friend, Joleen Porcaro Duddy. Joleen and I met at the beginning of middle school (over 50 years ago), and I honestly could not imagine a life without Joleen in it.

This week's episode discusses the value of connection, community, and being a good friend and confidant.

We get under the hood about family, loss, tragedy, and how seeing her mom living in an assisted living environment has inspired her to think about aging in a whole new way.

As someone who has always valued building a strong community centered around loyal friends, I am leaning more and more toward this as I settle into the aging process. When faced with a few health challenges, I got a bird's eye view of who my people were, and no one was more present than Joleen.

Highlights
5:42| The impact of community on aging
6:49 | How strong connections keep your life vibrant and alive
11:22 | It’s not just about building a business relationship, it’s more about building community with intention
19:25 | All friendships are not the same - each one has their meaning and purpose
18:45| The critical building block in a good company is trust
24:59| What tragedy and loss teach and how to move through life with a new normal
34:45| Strong relationships and bonds are built on honesty and finding ways to offer constructive criticism without putting someone on the defensive
41:07| The most outstanding example of friendship was witnessing the one with her mom and dad

Links:
Check out Joleen’s Instagram here.
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This week on the podcast, Melissa Meyers and I discuss what it takes to build an online space in your 50s and how it’s not always easy. The hard part is staying focused and not giving up even when all the doors are closing in your face. And that requires grit, tenacity, and drive to take you to the finish line.

Melissa’s passion for clean living and the products she has used over the years to do that in all areas of her life has allowed her to build a platform where she can inspire others. And because of that, she is earning over 6-figures each year.

It's not a terrible chunk of change for a woman who shares what she knows and is passionate about. However, none of this came quickly and didn’t arrive without sacrifices.

But when asked if it was all worth it…you’ll have to tune in to find out the answer.

Highlights:
3:50|How using products organically pushed Melissa into partnering with various brands
4:47| The earning power of women in their 40s and 50s is stronger than ever before
7:27| Closing the gap in the market for women over 40 and how to create a  platform to fill it
9:34| Learning to block time on one’s calendar creates a time management protocol that enables one to be focused
14:12| How to achieve the goal of working only four days a week and having the other three reset
18:03|Meditation helps with your mental health and mental clarity
20:39 |Taking long-form content and repurposing it into short-form content and actions
22:13|How our attention span is 4.25 seconds shorter than it was in the year 2000
25:34|Giving yourself 3 - 7 years to build a business is the winning formula

Links:
Visit Melissa's Instagram here
Visit Melissa's Website here
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