My guest today is Dr. Wencke Meteling.Wencke is a leadership coach with a unique blend of passion, creativity, and energy that uplifts everyone around her. Wencke draws from an impressive background—spanning continents and disciplines—to bring depth and vision to her coaching practice. With over 15 years of academic research, teaching, and leadership experience in institutions across Germany, the UK, and the US, Wencke brings a wealth of insight into the power of historical perspective and the courage to lead authentically.In our conversation today, Wencke shares pieces of her journey that include a transition from academia and being a historian to a distressing diagnosis of breast cancer – both an incredible disruptor of her life and a door to new directions and purpose.  Wencke is now dedicated to helping others find purpose and potential.  She coaches one-on-one and in teams or groups, often in the setting of nature and immersive farm retreats, partnering with horses.  If you have not heard of Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL), you are in for a treat, as Wencke shares her own journey of learning from equine partners and how she now creates those spaces for others.Wencke, thank you for this amazing conversation.  Thank you for sharing these pieces of your story, the reflections of learning you have done – and continue to do – and your wisdom for pursuing and creating the path that truly brings you joy!Please check out the links below to learn more about Wencke and the work she does in the world.  You’ll also find a link to watch her video for the song you’ll hear toward the end of our conversation.Here’s a link to Wencke's song & video:https://vimeo.com/1026142964 Roseanna Stanton and Wencke's website (Fairbrooke Farm is near Gaithersburg, MD):https://www.connectwitheightwire.com/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/wencke-meteling-256836290/ Gus’ home: Leighton Farm alias Thoroughbred Placement Resources, Upper Marlboro, MD,:https://goodhorse.org/Make Life Less Difficult

Welcome to an episode that’s a bit different.  Today, there are four of us talking and sharing experiences from the perspective of Foreign Service life – mainly as spouses and one contractor.  If you happened to listen to episode 162 which was about fitness, you may recognize these amazing women – Hillery Midkiff, Susie Csorsz Brown, and Morgan Loosli.  The four of us all met while living and working Sri Lanka, starting back in 2020.  At this point, I am now living in the US, Hillery and Susie are still in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Morgan and her family are living in Shanghai.We recorded this conversation in the spring of 2024, and it got lost in my folders, so hence the delay in publication.  As I listened to it recently, I appreciated the stories and decided it needed to be released into the wild!IF you are not connected with the Foreign Service, a warning that there are a number of acronyms that you will hear and likely not understand.  The most frequent one is probably EFM which stands for Eligible Family Member – the term given to spouses and children who are considered dependents of Foreign Service Officers.  Susie, Morgan, and I are in the role of EFMs.  Hillery is a contracted officer and her husband is an EFM.  Other than that, I think you’ll be able to follow just fine despite the other acronyms.We are talking about careers, finding professional fulfillment, and unique challenges that are associated with living and moving internationally.  Sometimes in countries where we have permission to work in the local economy, and sometimes in countries where we do not have permission to work locally.  A certain number of jobs exist at our US Embassies and Consulates that are specific for EFM employment – Susie and Morgan will share about some of their experiences in those positions.  I have chosen to develop my own business and have also worked on a part-time basis as a trainer for the Foreign Service Institute, the training center for the US Department of State.  Susie, Morgan, Hillery – thank you for this conversation.  Thanks for sharing the ups and downs and realities of this interesting life we live.  I’m super grateful for your friendships and how we stay connected across the globe!  (And quick note that Hillery does indeed drop the F bomb at one point in our conversation, so it’s marked explicit.  She’ll appreciate the shoutout for that.  You are welcome, Hillery!!)And with that, let me turn this over to our conversation that is graciously hosted by Susie.Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Mary Seals.  Mary is an Administrative Assistance for the non-profit, Capitalize for Good.  She has a degree in psychology, is a fellow Foreign Service spouse, an accomplished dog trainer, and mother of 4 wonderful children.Mary was a guest on episode 114, sharing about her family’s amazing Giant Schnauzer, Pax.  If you haven’t listened to that conversation, you will definitely want to add it to your podcast queue!When Mary told the story of Pax, it was a story of transformation – transforming from being “not a dog person” at all to being a “total dog person”, grateful for the transformation Pax brought to her family, as well as many others through her work as a therapy dog.In today’s conversation, Mary shares another story of transformation.  This time about transforming from being a member of a close-knit faith community to stepping away from that very faith community.Religious and faith communities can bring amazing good into our lives and at times, amazing pain and disappointment.  Unraveling our belief systems and structures is not an easy task.  Having had a similar journey myself, I’m so grateful for Mary sharing these pieces of her journey with us today.Mary, thank you for coming back on the podcast.  Thank you for sharing courageously – for living courageously!  You are an inspiration and your willingness to share the questions, the difficulties, the steps, the transformation will inspire many others as well.  Make Life Less Difficult

My guests today are Kerri and Steve Boone.Kerri is a registered nurse and a certified health coach, and Steve is the CEO of Wilkins Medical Group.  They live in east Tennessee.My connection with Kerri and Steve is through the beautiful expansion of our family, as one of my nieces married one of their sons a year and a half ago.You’ll hear more about our meeting and surprising point of connection in our conversation, but in short, after several superficial interactions, Kerri and Steve and I connected deeply through shared experiences of loss and grief.I do a lot of work in storytelling and this entire podcast is built on the belief that we connect through our stories and that hearing other people share their stories can make life a little less difficult – knowing we aren’t alone.  Despite this foundational and core belief that I hold, I continue to be surprised at the unexpected connections that arise – such as this one with Kerri and Steve.At times people will ask me, does it always need to be a sad story?  One of loss or grief?  No, absolutely not, and I love telling and hearing funny stories as well.  There is the reality, however, that it’s more difficult to share our stories of pain, so when we do and we connect with someone else who understands our pain, that creates a deep resonance in us as humans.I say all that because this conversation is such a beautiful reflection of it all – why I started this podcast, why I tell my story, and why I invite others to share their stories.  While it doesn’t fix things, while it doesn’t take the pain away when there’s pain, sharing does indeed make life a little less difficult.  And Kerri and Steve are committed to sharing their story of loss and grief with others as a way to connect, support, and encourage their fellow sojourners on this journey of life.Kerri and Steve – thank you!  Thank you for sharing these pieces of your story.  Thank you for sharing the reflections and transformations you have experienced along with the pain and grief.  Thank you for your generosity and desire to be present with others, whatever they might be going through.  I’m grateful for this connection.Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Tony Cerella.  If that name sounds familiar to you, let me tell you there’s a twist to this.  The Tony who joins me today is the son of the Tony who has joined me previously and shared about his journey of retiring from a career in the U.S. Army!  And if you are a regular listener, you might recall that other members of the Cerella family have also been guests here.  Bethany was a guest on episode 163 and Sophia was on episode 180.  Tony, who joins me today, is the son of Tony and Bethany, and the twin brother of Sophie.  At the time of our conversation, he was 15 years old and has since turned 16.  Tony is a deep thinker and enjoys digging into complex topics.  He’s lived a rich life in his 16 years, living in multiple countries, speaking multiple languages, and currently lives in Como, Italy.Tony, thank you for joining me on the podcast!  It is great getting to know you better, hearing your ideas and perspectives, and ambitions.  I look forward to seeing where you go in life and know you will make an impact for good in whatever you do!  (And thank you for your patience as it’s taken me much longer than anticipated to get this released!!)And a big thanks for the entire Cerella family for being my first complete family of guests on the podcast – what a fun experience, a beautiful and inspiring family!  I love these conversations and continue to feel so honored to host them and share them with you!Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Teresa Ramos.Teresa is a seasoned leader with a diverse career spanning over 23 years in executive roles at top tech companies like British Telecom, Vodafone, Telefónica, and Siemens Group. She has driven digital transformations, enhanced organizational agility, and fostered innovation within and across departments.After her extensive commercial experience, Teresa transitioned to academia, collaborating with leading institutions such as Instituto de Empresa, Stanford, and Harvard where her focus has been on innovation, agility, leadership, digital transformation, and high-performance teams.Currently, Teresa works as an executive coach and digital consultant, collaborating with a wide range of organizations and companies helping navigate the complexities of the digital world and thrive in our fast-evolving, technology-driven landscape.She is a Fellow at the Institute of Coaching at Harvard and a member of the Advisory Council at Harvard Business Review (HBR).In our conversation today, Teresa shares pieces of her journey through various transitions, the importance of playful curiosity, and how she’s managed moving back to her home country when it no longer felt like home.Teresa, thank you for this beautiful and enriching conversation.  Thank you for your wisdom, your stories, your curiosity.  You have so much to offer the world and I’m honored to share this conversation here.To connect with Teresa and learn more about her work, you’ll find links below:Teresa's website: http://www.globalresults.eu/Connect with Teresa on LinkedInMake Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Dr. Britt Yamamoto.I’m also delighted to share that the host of today’s conversation is my friend, Russ Watts.  This is Russ’s second time hosting a conversation here and I hope you’ll encourage him to do more!My only dilemma when Russ hosts is that I am slightly envious of not being in the conversation myself.  But, to counter that, I have the delight of listening and being touched and inspired and it is a very special experience.Dr. Yamamoto is an expert in designing strategies and building environments that emphasize ongoing, reciprocal learning within businesses, organizations, and educational institutions.  He is highly skilled in working with leaders to grow their self-awareness, deepen their purpose, and enhance their personal and professional wellbeing.Britt in the co-founder and CEO of Perennial, a leadership training organization that works with community leaders in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East on how to connect to and grow their long-term leadership capacities.  He’s a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington Department of Global Health, and the author of the book, Soil of Leadership: Cultivating the Conditions for Transformation.  His book is newly released and is a collection of leadership practices and perspectives informed by his work as an organic farmer.On a personal note, Britt is an avid long-distance runner, a novice podcaster, and as a child of the Pacific Ocean, finds joy in warm water, navigating beach breaks, and looking out for the perfect taco!Britt, thank you for this wise, thoughtful, and stirring conversation.  Thank you for the inspiration to ‘human better together’.  May your work continue to grow deep into the heart and souls of leaders young and old and produce the fruit of transformation that our world craves.To learn more about Britt and his work, you’ll find links below:The Soil of Leadership: https://thesoilofleadership.org/Connect with Britt on LinkedInFollow Britt on Instagram Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Nadine Keller.Nadine is the founder and president of Precision Sales Coaching & Training.  She works to help ambitious women entrepreneurs who have hit a revenue plateau increase their revenue in record time!  She helps them get to a position to invest in their business, be well-positioned to weather conditions outside of their control, and most importantly – so they can feel financially free!Nadine and I met through the Georgetown Institute for Transformational Leadership Network annual conference in September 2024.  Nadine’s energy, passion, and enthusiasm for life, her work, and connecting were evident from our very first interactions.We also quickly connected via stories of loss – the loss of our husbands.  Our conversation quickly dove into the depths of grief and gratitude and how the two elements can be so mysteriously intertwined.I’m so grateful Nadine said yes to coming on the podcast, sharing pieces of her story, how she has weathered the difficult times, and her reflections of what resilience looks like in her life and journey.Nadine, thank you.  This conversation touches on so many themes that are near and dear to my heart.  Themes that are sometimes difficult to put into words and yet so grounding and connective when shared.  Your stories, your optimism, your resilience… they all inspire me and I know they will inspire so many who listen!To learn more about Nadine, the work she does, and her books and more, see the links below:Thanksgiving book: Gobble:  The Quintessential Thanksgiving PlaybookNadine's website: The Precision Sales AcceleratorConnect with Nadine: Calendly linkMake Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Morgan Adams.Morgan is a transformative holistic sleep coach who empowers women to conquer their battle with sleepless nights, without reliance on sleep medications. With her powerful sleep toolkit, Morgan not only ensures that women experience a profound enhancement in their sleep quality, but she also guides them in rekindling their relationship with sleep, paving the way for less stressful and more fulfilling days.Having struggled with insomnia and dependency on prescription sleeping pills for almost a decade, Morgan intimately understands the profound impact sleep has on one’s quality of life. Morgan’s resilience shines bright as a two-time breast cancer survivor. This experience fueled her advocacy for a lifestyle rooted in disease prevention. Her wisdom and guidance extend far beyond just sleep, as she champions holistic well-being in all aspects of life.Morgan, thank you for this insightful and educational conversation!  Thank you for sharing these pieces of your journey and how you have built out your resilience!  And special shout-out to Kim Brundage for getting Morgan and me connected!You will find links below to Morgan’s website and other resources.Website: https://www.morganadamswellness.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/morganadams.wellness/Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Kamini Wood.Kamini is a certified life coach and best-selling author, who is passionate about empowering individuals to reclaim their self-worth and become resilient leaders of their own lives. As the CEO and Founder of Live Joy Your Way, Kamini works with high-achieving adults and teens, helping them navigate self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the pressures of external validation. Through her specialized coaching programs, Kamini focuses on emotional resilience, self-compassion, and the power of living authentically.Her journey, shaped by her experiences as a first-generation American and a mother of five, informs her work with clients to help them break free from the limitations of people-pleasing and self-judgment. Kamini's mission is simple but profound: to guide others in recognizing their innate worth and to foster self-leadership from a place of inner strength and clarity.In our conversation today, Kamini shares pieces of her own journey that has led her to do the hard internal work that is foundational to a joy-filled life!Kamini, thank you for this thoughtful and wise conversation.  Thank you for sharing pieces of your own story, your growth, your mistakes, your insights, your wisdom!  I’ve been reflecting on our conversation and am a better person for it!To learn more about Kamini and her work check out the links below:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsauthenticme/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminiwoodPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/itsauthenticme/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsauthenticme/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSVaEISjpaXsCdQGbE2lpUwWebsite: https://www.kaminiwood.com/Make Life Less Difficult