Make Life Less Difficult

Before I introduce my guest today, I want to take a moment to recognize this as the three-year anniversary of the Make Life Less Difficult podcast!  What an amazing journey it has been!  This started as an experiment and has grown into an incredible passion project for me.  The conversations here fill my heart and soul and I hope they do the same for those who listen – whether you listen to just one or many of them!  Every person who has joined me here shares vulnerable pieces of themselves, their story, their reflections, and their wisdom.  Most of my guests begin with the sense that their stories aren’t interesting, and they don’t have any wisdom, but 100% of the time, their stories are amazing and their wisdom is profound.I love meeting people and having these conversations and I’m honored to have listeners in 128 countries around the world according to Buzzsprout statistics!  I have a list of people who I want to have on my podcast and am humbled that that list only grows over time!  I’d love to discover ways to invest even more time into this podcast and these conversations, so we’ll see what the future holds!In the meantime, thank you for being part of the journey!  Today’s conversation is a fantastic example of the amazing people in the world and how they make a difference just by being true to themselves and their path of life and discovery. My guest today is Shawnette Rochelle.Shawnette is a certified executive coach, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, and an insatiable world traveler.  She has more than 20 years of experience leading and coaching high-performance individuals, teams, and organizations in both peacetime and wartime.   Shawnette describes herself as always being deeply invested in helping others drive change, even as a kid.  She has a passion for supporting those who are challenging the prevailing norms. In our conversation, Shawnette shares how true leadership begins with leading ourselves.  She began learning this lesson early in life at West Point Military Academy.  Another piece of our conversation that stands out is what Shawnette calls the acceptance mindset.  I’ll let her share more about this, but this aligns so much with my philosophy of making life less difficult.  Shawnette, thank you for sharing these pieces of your journey and story.  Thank you for sharing your reflections, your moments of awareness and growth, and wisdom.  I’m so grateful to have had this chance to connect with you!If you would like to learn more about Shawnette and her work, you’ll find links below.Shawnette's Website: https://excellenceunbounded.com/Connect on LinkedInSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Alicia Rodriguez.Alicia is on a mission to help people connect – to their deeper, essential selves, to spirit, and to nature – so they can get clear, get bold and get ready to embrace limitless possibilities to forge powerful futures.Alicia is a mentor, guide, and truthteller.  Through 1:1 work, immersive retreats, writing, and speaking, Alicia partners with her clients to help them find what they need to take life-changing action.In our conversation today, Alicia shares pieces of her journey from success in the corporate to building a retreat center in Ecuador, to southern Portugal where she now lives.  We also talk about her journey of writing her recently published memoir, The Shaman’s Wife, A Mystical Journey of Surrender and Self-Discovery.  This book tells her incredible story with courage, vulnerability, and strength.  I highly recommend it!Alicia, thank you so much for this conversation!  Thank you for your courage, wisdom, energy, and light.  I’m grateful for this time we got to spend together and look forward to (hopefully) more in the future!You’ll find links below to learn more about Alicia’s work, to find her book, and explore her offerings.Connect with Alicia:WebsiteThe Shaman's Wife book (releases Sept 10 2024)IG: @msaliciamrodriguezSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Max Palomeque.Max is an executive coach and educator for the FBI, Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, Georgetown University, and many other clients.  His company, Infourge Leadership brings his philosophy of coaching and leadership development to executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders in both the private and governmental sectors.Max is a proud and distinguished veteran after serving as an intelligence officer, as well as a respected former FBI agent specializing in human intelligence.  He has captivated audiences as a public speaker and lecturer, taking his highly-researched approach throughout the US, as well as across the globe to Europe and Australia.Max and I recently connected through mutual work, and I am so pleased to share this conversation with you.  One of the quotes Max shares is “We don’t learn from our past and experiences; we learn from reflecting on those experiences and past.”  And Max lives out this in his own life – I know you’ll be inspired by his reflections.Max, thank you for sharing these pieces of your journey.  Thank you for your thoughtful and wise reflections on your own past and experiences. Thank you for sharing the ways you have chosen growth in your own life and continue to do so.  You share in a way that inspires action!  There are links in the show notes to find more about Max and his work, and, in particular, to find his recently published book, The Infourge Compendium of Models and Theories for Coaches, Facilitators, and Consultants.  This is an incredible resource to have in your library, so you won’t want to miss it!Connect with Max:Website: https://www.infourge.co/LinkedInThe Infourge Compendium of Models and Theories for Coaches, Facilitators, and Consultants: Get it on Amazon | Get it on Barnes and Noble Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Sophie Cerella.Sophie is a student at the International School in Como, Italy, where she lives with her family.  Originally from the US, Sophie has lived in a number of places around the world because of her father’s military career.It is a distinct honor to have Sophie on as a guest, and in fact, my youngest guest up until now!  Sophie and I connected after both her dad and mom were guests.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to those conversations, take some time to look up Tony Cerella’s episodes and Bethany Cerella.Sophie and I talk about a variety of things including how she manages her time on social media and technology, what it’s been like for her growing up internationally, acting now to get the most out of life, and more.Sophie, thank you for this engaging and inspiring conversation.  At 15, you have a tremendous amount of wisdom and a thoughtful approach to life.  I hope to have many more conversations in the future!  And I look forward to seeing how life continues to unfold for you.Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Patrick Murphy.Patrick Murphy is a leadership coach and facilitator based in Brooklyn, NY, and owner of Project Murphy, LLC.  He is committed to bringing passion, joy, and contagious enthusiasm to leadership development.I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick through a mutual work engagement and immediately wanted to learn more about his story!  Fortunately, he said yes to coming on the podcast!In our conversation today, Patrick shares pieces of his journey as he tried to figure out what his professional life would be focused on.  Starting out in the film industry, Patrick was met with repeated obstacles that were frustrating and disappointing.  In reflection, Patrick shares that he learned to trust the process of development and also, very importantly, that he didn’t need to do it all alone!We talk about the beauty of making a healthy mess in times of exploration, the differences between happiness and contentment, and so much more.Patrick, thank you so much for this fantastic and inspiring conversation.  The reflections and wisdom you share are beautifully partnered with vulnerability and honestly.  I’ve included links to Patrick’s website below if you’d like to learn more about him and the work he does. Project Murphy, LLCSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Ravi Ram.Ravi is the Vice-President of Enterprise and Executive Education at Springboard, an online learning platform that prepares students for the tech industry’s most in-demand careers.  Ravi also works as an independent leadership coach and trainer.  Earlier in his career he was a management consultant with McKinsey & Co.Ravi and I met through mutual work engagements and I immediately wanted to have him on the podcast.  I remember hearing Ravi introduce himself at a workshop where we were serving as coach faculty and was so impressed with his down-to-earth, authentic, vulnerable style that embodied such a wonderful balance of personal and professional connection.In our conversation today Ravi talks about being challenged early on in his life to disturb his equilibrium.  He’s stepped into this repeatedly in his life and he shares the beauty this has created as well as the difficulty.  We also talk about the challenge of unlearning early beliefs, sorting through the internal vs external voices when making life decisions, and how improv has helped him be present and feel alive.Ravi, thank you SO much for this conversation!  I’m incredibly grateful for your willingness to dive into the deep end of life and ask the type of questions that don’t have easy answers… maybe even no answers.  I’m a better person for knowing you and I know the listeners of this conversation will be as well!  I can’t wait for future conversations!Connect with Ravi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravisram/   Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Cathy Carroll.Cathy is the Founder and President of Legacy Onward, Inc., where she serves as a leadership coach for family business leaders. She is the author of the book, Hug of War: How to Lead a Family Business With both Love and Logic.Though Cathy grew up surrounded by her grandfather’s business, she initially carved out her career path as an actuary at Hewitt Associates, later progressing to executive roles at Sabre Inc. and United Airlines. In 2009, her father invited her to lead his business as President and COO, where she spearheaded a successful turnaround of five companies that manufacture and distribute sporting goods serving the rodeo market, with a focus on team roping.In 2013, Cathy founded Legacy Onward, Inc., to provide leadership coaching services to family businesses. A sought-after keynote speaker with a global clientele, Cathy is passionate about developing leaders in the complex domain of family businesses. I met Cathy through the Georgetown Leadership Coaching network and am excited to share this conversation today.  In addition to talking about family businesses, Cathy shares generously about Polarities.  The framework of polarities is fascinating and quite practical is managing issues that initially seem to be at odds.  If you haven’t been exposed to this idea of polarities, you are in for a treat!Cathy, thank you for this conversation!  Thank you for sharing these pieces of your journey and also you thoughtful insights and wisdom on the complexities of family business.  Thank you for your work to turn our games of tug of war into hugs that hopefully prevent the wars!You’ll find links below to Cathy’s book and her website to learn more about her work.Hug of War book: https://www.legacyonward.com/hug-of-warCathy's Website: http://www.legacyonward.com/Find Cathy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyacarroll/ Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guests today are Mikah Meyer and Larry Edwards.Mikah is an avid outdoorsman who set a record of being the first person to visit all 419 National Park sites in the US in a single 3-year journey.  He also made history by being the first openly gay man to be in an outdoor recreation campaign by REI.Larry, is Dr. Lawrence Edwards, the Artistic Director of the Memphis Symphony Chorus since 1988, often conducting both the orchestra and the chorus.  He is a retired professor, having served as the Coordinator of Choirs for the University of Memphis School of Music from 1987 to 2021.I first was introduced to Mikah and Larry through the short film, Canyon Chorus.  This brilliant 16-minute adventure film explores “the journeys we’ve had and the people who’ve been in our lives that are important to us.”  I saw a link in an email from the Adventure Journal, clicked on it, and was immediately drawn into a fantastic story of the friendship of Mikah and Larry.  In such a short amount of time, I laughed, I cried, and I immediately wondered if I could get them on my podcast!Lucky for me and for you, Mikah and Larry accepted the invitation to the Make Life Less Difficult podcast and here’s our inspiring conversation.In our conversation, Mikah and Larry share pieces of their individual journeys of coming out as gay, how they met and developed a forever friendship.  This is an amazing story on many levels, and perhaps particularly on how having mentors in our lives opens up so much possibility.  Mikah and Larry – thank you SO much for this delightful connection.  You both share pieces of your stories and journeys with beautiful authenticity, lightness of heart, and grace.  I’ve been touched and inspired and know that so many others have been and will be as well.You’ll find links below to Mikah’s website, the film Canyon Chorus:Mikah's website: https://www.mikahmeyer.com/Watch Canyon Chorus: https://youtu.be/hnLdPs1gjls?si=zVIZZGZ2OXSezP6FSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Dr. Alex Korb, author of the book Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time.Dr. Korb is a neuroscientist, writer, and coach. He has studied the brain for over 20 years, having earned his undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Brown University and then later completed his Ph.D. in neuroscience at UCLA. He has published over a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles on depression, neuromodulation, and other topics. He is currently an adjunct assistant professor at UCLA in the department of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. Outside of the lab he writes a popular blog on how the tendencies of your brain can ruin or enrich your life. As a speaker he educates, motivates, and inspires organizations to understand the neuroscience of wellbeing and put it into practice. As a consultant he works with companies and organizations to help them improve communication about neuroscience and enhance employee wellbeing. He has coached the UCLA Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team for over 15 years and is a 3 time award winner for USA Ultimate’s Coach of the Year. His expertise extends into leadership and motivation, mindfulness, physical fitness, and even stand-up comedy.I first heard about Dr. Korb’s book through another podcast guest, Linda Hoopes.  The name of the book, Upward Spiral, immediately grabbed my attention and within a couple of days I was reading it.  Upward Spiral has two parts to it: the first is a description of what is understood about the neuroscience of depression (written in a language that’s mostly understandable for the lay person like myself) and the second is focused on actions we can take to lessen the negative impacts of depression in our lives and how each of those actions cause changes in the brain.  I love that combination as I find it gives me greater motivation to know the why behind recommended behavior changes!I’m delighted to share this conversation with you and hope it’ll be as inspiring to you as it has been for me.  There are links in the shownotes to Dr. Korb’s website and the book Upward Spiral.Dr. Korb – thank you for this fantastic and motivating conversation.  Thank you for the work you do in the world and for sharing it in a way that’s understandable and applicable for all of us who aren’t neuroscientists but who want to help our brain be in its best functioning state!Website: https://www.alexkorbphd.comBook: Upward Spiral Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Tom Finn.Tom is a performance improvement consultant and coach for leaders and teams.  He’s also the author of the newly published book, The Shift Effect: How Small Shifts Improve Leader Performance, and a previous book titled, Are You Clueless 7 Clues to Profit, Productivity, and Partnership for Leaders in a Multicultural WorldTom has over 30 years of experience in executive coaching, team building, strategic planning, and counsel and training in diversity and inclusion.  Tom and I met recently and after talking to him briefly, learning about his book, it was clear I wanted to have him on the podcast!  In our conversation today, Tom shares his journey to writing The Shift Effect and shares the powerful tool of making these small shifts in our thinking, our language, our actions, that make a huge impact! Tom, thank you for this beautiful and inspiring conversation.  I’m deeply appreciative of the new perspectives and insights I’ve gained by learning from you, and I know others will be as well.You’ll find links below to Tom’s website where you can read more about his work, find his books, and more! Tom’s website: https://tomfinnassociates.comTom’s books: https://tomfinnassociates.com/toms-books/ Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra