Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Nadia Rivera.Nadia lives and works in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where she works for the US Embassy. I first met Nadia in 2019, where she was training to be an adjunct faculty for the Foreign Service Institute – an add-on to her full-time job.  I didn’t know it at the time, but it had just been a matter of days since Nadia had lost her father.  She shared with me later that the training, the connections with her colleagues and the facilitators, and the information she learned about emotional intelligence was really beneficial for her own journey of growth and development. Fast-forward to December of 2022, and I had the chance to connect with Nadia again, this time at the Adjunct Faculty Workshop.  We talked about her journey as a trainer and also how she has learned so much about neuro-diversity and her own discovery of having Autism and what that has opened up for her.  She graciously agreed to come on the podcast and share her story. Nadia is deeply insightful and courageous as she shares these pieces of her journey, of the healing that has occurred in her family (which she has been the catalyst of), and of what she has both experienced and learned about the world of neurodiversity, autism, and more. Nadia, thank you so very much for your willingness to share your story.  Thank you for your courage, vulnerability, and wisdom.  You are an inspiration and a light to so many!Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Eka Aleksandrova. Eka is a talent development consultant, a coach, facilitator, and transition specialist.  She worked for over 25 years in the people development space, shaping people strategies and executing initiatives to recruit and retain exceptional people.  Eka worked for McKinsey & Company for over 20 years and is now the owner of her own company offering coaching, training, and consulting. Eka’s story is fascinating.  She was born in South Asia to Russian parents.  She currently lives in Thailand and is a German citizen.  Over the course of her life she has lived, worked, and studied in more than 25 countries.   I had the pleasure of meeting Eka through virtual work engagements initially.  Her energy and enthusiasm were evident from the first moment!  Since then, we’ve been able to meet up in person in Bangkok a couple of times enjoying dinner and conversations which have been so lovely!  As I learned pieces of her journey and story, I kept wanting to learn more and was grateful that Eka accepted my invitation to come on the podcast! In our conversation today Eka shares the importance of simplicity, connection, and keeping a sense of humor in life.  Eka shares her pragmatic approach to making choices about her identity, the design of her life, and more.   Eka, thank you for your enthusiasm for life, your optimism that is beautifully blended with reality, and for sharing, not only these pieces of your journey, but also your wisdom with us here.  Connect with Eka on LinkedIn.Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Baktash Ahadi. Baktash is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, speaker, facilitator, and human rights activist. Baktash is a returning guest and if you have not yet listened to my first conversation with him, I highly recommend taking time to listen to Episode 84, where Baktash shared pieces of his and his family’s story of escaping Afghanistan as refugees when he was just a baby, getting resettled as a young boy in Carlisle Pennsylvania, and how that journey has impacted his life. I asked Baktash if he would come back to talk specifically about the film, Retrograde, of which he is an Executive Producer.  Retrograde tells the story of the American withdraw from Afghanistan in 2021.  Sponsored by National Geographic, what started with the intention of telling the story of the American Green Berets who served in Afghanistan, pivoted in May of 2021, when President Biden announced the withdraw of American troops, which built up to the major withdrawal and the takeover of the Afghan government by the Taliban on August 15, 2021. From Wikipedia: “Retrograde is a 2022 American documentary film that covers events that took place during the final nine months of the United States' 20-year war in Afghanistan. The film includes actions taken by the last American Special Forces units stationed there, Sami Sadat, a young Afghan general and his troops defending their country, and a chaotic exodus of its civilians, desperate to flee a country that will once again be controlled by the Taliban.” The footage that was captured in the making of this film is incredible, to say the least.  As I watched, I often was wondering, “how did they get this footage?”  So, that is among many other aspects that Baktash tells us about today. We also talk about what we as individuals can do today to make a positive difference in the continued story of Afghan refugees and Veterans of the war.   Retrograde is available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.  It is produced by Matthew Heineman and Caitlin McNally.  More of Baktash’s work can be found at baktashahadi.org.Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Todd Hess. Todd is a leadership coach whose work centers around The Work of Byron Katie.  (we’ll share a lot more about what that means momentarily.) Before his training as a coach, Todd had been an HR Executive in the tech industry with companies like eBay, NICE inContact, Vivint Smart Home, Call Tower, and Castlight Health. After his own transformational experience working with a coach applying The Work of Byron Katie, Todd pursued his certification through Clarity Coaching Institute.  He now works with people every day helping them unravel their fears and stressful beliefs. When I first talked with Todd about being in the podcast he asked if I was open to going through the process of The Workwith him so we could demonstrate the process.   I was first introduced to Byron Katie and The Work back in 2018 when the therapist I was working with recommended her book, Loving What Is.  Reading this book, alongside the book, Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff, provided transforming perspectives on myself, my stress-inducing beliefs, and opened the doors to some very new ways of processing the world, what I think about the world, and how I can choose to respond rather than reflectively reacting. I told Todd I would be happy to work through the process with him for the podcast!   So, today, that’s what we do.  It’s a little different format for us here and I’m excited to share this journey with you.  For that is truly what it was for me… we didn’t pre-plan the conversation.  What you hear is real-time reflection, insight, and shifting of perspectives. I hope this will pique your interest into learning more about The Work of Byron Katie, Todd’s work, and yourself. Todd lives in Utah in the United States.  He’s a lover of the outdoors and enjoys hiking, mountain biking, camping backpacking, and snow skiing.  He also loves travel, lived in Taiwan for 5 years and has traveled throughout Asia, Central American, Canada and Europe. Todd, thank you for sharing your journey with us today, for guiding this brilliant conversation, for your gracious presence, and for your gentle wisdom.  It’s a delight to host this conversation. Connect with Todd:https://inquiringmindcoaching.com/https://thework.com/Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Arianne Rice.Arianne is back on the Make Life Less Difficult podcast for conversation #3.  Arianne first shared pieces of her story on episode 17, then came back to explore grief, sadness, and difficult times around loss on episode 49.Arianne is an Episcopal priest, Certified Daring Way Facilitator, and Leadership Coach.Since we first met, Arianne has also become a podcast host.  Her podcast, Feeling Beings Who Think, is a place for intentional conversations on how we live, move, and have our being in the world.  She and her guests focus on how careers and callings have been shaped by who we’ve been and who we are becoming.  And even though each of our paths are different, we find points of resonance, support, learning and wisdom through our shared stories.  Definitely check it out and if you are looking for a place to start, I was a guest on episode 4!Back to today’s conversation.  Arianne and I talk about a variety of things today including ways to cultivate spaciousness in the midst of a busy life, the "land of ok" and how being in the land of ok is good enough (and why that can be so difficult to accept, especially for those of us with perfectionistic tendencies), reality testing the interpretations of our past and our stories, and living our way into new behaviors because we can’t think our way there.Arianne, thank you so much for this conversation.  Thank you for sharing your stories and experiences, exploring the journey with vulnerability and authenticity, and for your thoughtfulness and wisdom.  I’m already looking forward to our next conversation. Connect with Arianne:WebsitePodcast: Feeling Beings Who ThinkLinkedInMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Bechara Abi Assi.Bechara describes himself as a “humble student traveler on this journey of life.”Bechara is driven by a deep curiosity to understand how people make sense of their inner and outer worlds, and a wonder at the possibilities that opens up for them. He is committed to helping himself and others build close-knit groups and cultivate meaningful relationships with love, safety, empathy and honesty.Bechara works in the world of leadership development and loves helping his clients learn in an environment that is both safe and challenging, helping people find their growth edge. His approach to this work is rooted in deep self-awareness, and informed by complexity, adult development, centered leadership and positive psychology. In a past chapter of his journey, Bechara was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising private and public sector clients across the Middle East and Europe on strategy, culture change, capability building and leadership development. Bechara also worked in McKinsey’s internal learning function, focusing on developing programs for the Firm’s most senior colleagues.Bechara holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BBA from the American University of Beirut in his native Lebanon. He lives between Amsterdam, Valencia and Dubai (where he grew up), and speaks Arabic and English, while also trying to improve his limited Dutch, Spanish and French. Outside of work, Bechara enjoys spending quality time with his ‘people’ and discovering new places and cuisines, preferably via road trips.Bechara and I met in late 2022 at a work event.  I remember sitting and having dinner together, chatting and getting to know each other, and just a few minutes into the conversation I asked – do you want to be on my podcast??  It’s fun to notice how different people respond when I ask that question.  Bechara’s response, as I remember it, was a clear yes!  I knew we would have an amazing conversation and we did.  Bechara, thank you so much for this deep and meaningful conversation.  Thank you for sharing these pieces of your story.  Your courage in life to jump into the unknown on the journey of self-discovery, your both willingness and ability to articulate the challenges and the successes of handling suffering in life, developing your emotional immune system, and developing kindness and compassion for yourself… it’s inspirational.  It’s an absolute delight to host this conversation and share it here.Connect with Bechara here.Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Alex Tonsberg.Before I share more about Alex, let me apologize for the background noise and poor audio quality for this introduction.  I’m in Nepal at the moment and there’s not a quiet place to be found!But about Alex…There are two things that are certain in life - death and taxes. But for Alex there was a third certainty. While still in elementary school, Alex determined that there would be nothing that would prevent her from having an interesting life.  From art student living in Australia to Registered Nurse working in austere environments and chaotic trauma centers, the desire for an interesting life never left and has been what has guided her to ask sometimes difficult questions about what is important in life.  Today Alex is an entrepreneur, owner of Dark Humor Coffee and has reconnected with her love for art by becoming an apprentice at Two Cents Ceramics. Our conversation is about courage, determination, thoughtful pursuit of being oneself, and more. We had the chance to record our conversation a few weeks ago when I was in TN and it’s only the 3rd podcast I’ve been able to record in person, so that was a treat. It’s also a special experience having a podcast conversation with someone I’ve known for years, learning more about their journey, hearing pieces of the backstory. It reminds me that no matter how long and how well I know someone there’s always more to learn.  Thank you, Alex, for sharing these stories, for reflecting so thoughtfully on your journey and choices, and for the insightful life lessons that have become a part of who you are. I’m honored to host and share this conversation. Connect with Alex: https://www.instagram.com/at.vagabonding/Dark Humor CoffeeTwo Cents CeramicsMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Sue Harvey.Sue established Riverwise Leadership, previously New Direction Strategy, to help leaders and organizations do change better.  Working at the intersection of leadership coaching, team effectiveness, and change management, Sue guest leaders and teams to unlock their creativity and innate wisdom to deliver meaningful, lasting change. Sue serves emerging leaders and C-suite executives across a range of industries including life sciences, technology, health care, and professional services. She is a highly-rated faculty member for leadership development programs at a leading global professional services firm, and is also the founder and lead coach for “Creating What’s Next,” a peer-coaching program for women in career transition. Before launching her own company, Sue was involved in organizational change from every angle – as a leader, as a team member, and as a C-suite advisor.  Previous positions include Chief of Staff to the CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Deputy Communications Director for the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and executive-on-loan to the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. A Williams College graduate, Sue holds certificates in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership and in Change Management from Prosci.  She completed the Center for Creative Leadership’s Leadership Development Program and UMass Boston’s Emerging Leaders Program.  She is a recipient of the Wonder Woman Award from the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus.  Sue lives outside Boston with her husband, two children, and a rotating menagerie of pets. Sue and I met last summer and sensed an immediately connection.  It’s truly a delight to share this conversation with you today.  Sue shares pieces of her journey and transition out of the corporate world where she was extremely successful and yet came to a place where she knew she wanted and needed a change.   We talk about the courage that it takes to make such a change, Sue shares how she was inspired to action through watching someone else’s courageous act, and the power and contagion of courage. Sue, thank you so much for sharing these glimpses into your story, the wisdom you have cultivated, and your humble courage and transparency.  You are an inspiration!  And you embody the courage and I hope many catch the contagion of courage from you as your story is shared through this platform.Connect with Sue:LinkedInMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Thiago Hanken.Thiago supervises a high impact team at the US Consulate General in Recife Brazil.  He’s also a trainer and workshop facilitator for the US Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute Adjunct Faculty program.  He teaches leadership skills, communication strategy, cross cultural understanding, conflict management, change management and more utilizing tools like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and Hermann Brain Dominance Indicator. Thiago has coordinated major events including the 200 year anniversary event of the US Consulate General in Recife.  He thrives in environments where he can use critical thinking, active listening, and creativity.  Thiago loves the challenge of absorbing, analyzing, synthesizing, and presenting content to diverse audiences.  Learning and development, in both a personal and professional sense has been his passion for the past 5 years.  Thiago helps his team members take their interpersonal relationships seriously and he’s a passionate promoter of DEIA in all his work. Thiago and I met through our mutual work for the US Department of State in the training realm and it has been an amazing privilege to get to know him, watch him grow as a trainer, and through our conversation today, learn more about the behind-the-scenes stories to his transformation over the past several years. Thiago, thank you so so much for sharing these glimpses into your life and journey.  Your stories are inspirational, your wisdom is deep, and your passion is contagious!  It’s such an honor to host this conversation here today!Connect with Thiago:FacebookInstagram: @thiagohMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Beatrice Redi. Beatrice is a Positive Leadership Facilitator, an Executive Coach, and a Chief Happiness Officer. Before turning to full-time coaching and leadership development, Beatrice worked for 28 years in global corporations in the Pharmaceutical sector as a leader in Marketing and Sales functions, both industry and consulting side. While working in global management roles in the commercial arena, she adopted a coaching leadership style that facilitated and empowered people to bring their best selves to work and create resilient, collaborative, enthusiastic multicultural, and cross-functional teams. Her raison d’être has now become to help people find their purpose, re-connect with their uniqueness and strengths, develop these and flourish. She has a B.A. in Humanities from King’s College, London University, and an M.B.A from SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan. In addition, she’s qualified with one of Europe’s top business schools INSEAD with their “Leading in a Transforming World” certification. She is a certified coach with the  International Coaching Federation Coach, and an EIA Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and a Certified Chief Happiness Officer with the Italian Institute for Positive Organizations (IIPO). Apart from her work, Beatrice enjoys walking in nature, trekking up mountains, and undertaking creative activities, especially photography and videomaking. She is happily married and blessed with two spitfire children. Beatrice and I met recently through mutual work opportunities and when we began to explore recording a podcast conversation, we clicked easily and I knew we’d have a fantastic time. Beatrice shares pieces of her journey as she has sought to find and develop meaning in her life and developing her authentic self.  The time of covid was a game changer for her… there was job loss, sickness, dissonance.  And this really pushed Beatrice on a deep dive to self-discovery and getting back in touch with her core values.  Beatrice, thank you for sharing with us today.  Thank you for bringing your wisdom, your authenticity, your happiness and gratitude to the conversation and stories you shared.  You are a beautiful light in the world.  Thank you for reminding us to move through life with love.Connect with Beatrice:LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/beatriceredi)Website (https://beatriceredi.com/)Schedule a call (https://calendly.com/beatrice_redi)Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra