My guest today is Mary Seals.Mary is a fellow spouse in the US Foreign Service and we connected because her husband found my podcast through the episode with Gavin McClurg (episode 35).  After listening, he reached out and said, “hey I’m a paraglider, and in the foreign service, and studying to become a coach!”  And that connection led to meeting Mary and ultimately, this episode!Mary joins me today to share the story of her transformation:  from adamantly NOT a dog person to owning and loving a very special dog named Pax.   Pax is a Giant Schnauzer and along with being a transformative influence in her own family, also extends her special canine presence to others through her work as a therapy dog.   As a dog lover and animal lover, in general, I’m so delighted to share this story with you.  You may want to keep a tissue on hand, for Pax touches the heart not just in person, but also through the sharing of her story.   Mary, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing about your journey with Pax.  Thank you for all the work you have done and continue to do to create opportunities for so many people to be touched by interacting with Pax.  And thank you for your own willingness to be transformed, to become a dog trainer, to see the needs in your family and be willing to do something bold and audacious (get a dog!!) in order to create a space for healing and connection.   You and Pax are making the world a better and more joyful place!Follow Pax and Mary on InstaGram: @PaxtheGiantMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Kenza Barrada.Kenza is the founder of the “We Are One World” or WAOW  Project, which is designed to support leaders to realize that each one of us impacts all others, and that change starts with us.Kenza is a senior advisor for leadership development and team alignment, a Mindfulness and MBTI practitioner, and she collaborates with distinctive practitioners and specialists of other transformative tools and methods.  Kenza has worked and lived in 15 countries. She’s fluent in 4 languages.  And she spent 12 years in management consulting for McKinsey & Company.  She has a deep knowledge of public sector work and agriculture development in emerging countries.  Her passion for agriculture is now taking roots in permaculture and agroecology family project near Marrakesh Morocco, where she’s aiming for autonomy, self-sufficiency and sustainability.In our conversation today, Kenza invites us into an amazing journey – her journey to Mindfulness and deep awareness.  Kenza is a phenomenal storyteller and as she shared these segments of her life journey, I found myself swept along as if watching a movie.  It’s truly a delight.And as you will hear, this is only the beginning.  I have invited Kenza back to continue sharing her story because there’s so much more.  So, keep an eye out for her return!Kenza, I’m truly touched to host this conversation and share your story in this format.  Thank you so very much for your authenticity, vulnerability, passion and wisdom.  I am grateful to be connected with you and look forward to our future conversations!Connect with Kenza on LinkedInMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Sue Callaghan. Sue is the founder of goldvineco, and a leadership coach and facilitator. As a leadership coach and facilitator, Sue brings authenticity, warmth, and positive energy to her clients to accelerate growth and effectiveness through self-understanding. She is committed to nurturing happy, successful leaders. For sixteen years, Sue worked within university executive education leading client interfaceand program design to create transformational leadership development experiences for individuals and teams, resulting in an enhanced ability to navigate complexity. Her early career was in financial consulting and financial analysis in the food industry. Sue is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She is also a graduate of Georgetown University’s flagship program in Leadership Coaching and holds an ACC level of certification from the International Coach Federation (ICF).  On the personal side, Sue’s interests are in Nutrition & Fitness, Whole-Person Wellness, and Entertaining.  Professionally her interests focus on Personal Essence & Purpose, Immunity to Change and Positive Intelligence. Sue is certified in The Leadership Circle ProfileTM, a 360-degree assessment designed for vertical development. Sue and her husband, Jim, reside in Indianapolis, IN, USA and are proud parents of four adult kids. Sue and I met through our work for Educe Partners.  I love this conversation because it’s really the first long conversation I have had with Sue and it’s a very cool way to get to know someone and parts of their story. In our conversation we touch on values clarification, purpose, humor as a currency, optimizing for serendipity, and so much more.  There’s deep wisdom in Sue’s journey and sharing and I anticipate you’ll find lots of inspiration. Sue, thank you so much for the generosity of your time, for sharing these pieces of your story, and for engaging with deep authenticity and commitment to growth.  I’m so grateful for this time spent with you!Connect with Sue:WebsiteLinkedInReferences throughout our conversation: Leadership Circle Profile and Bob Anderson Immunity to Change --Lisa Lahey and Bob KeganRichard Leider and purposeAmanda Blake and Mood, Move, Mantra Robert Ellis, Coaching from Essence and "Optimize for Serendipity" Richard Boyatzis, Ellen Van Oosten and Melvin Smith, authors of Helping People Change Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Wendy Moomaw.   Wendy is the founder of the Conscious Collaboratory® where she enables systems differently, rethinking old problems through new lenses and inviting multiple perspectives to create new possibilities.  She is the co-creator of Reimagining Workshops - co-creating the 8-week immersive workshop Reimagining Racial Equity, which is a multi-dimensional and transformative workshop that uses racial equity as a catalyst for shift and change within the participants, their teams, and their organizations. She is also the co-creator of Reimagining Patriarchy, which explores the influence and impact of patriarchy on our bodies as a radical act of curiosity, learning, and embodiment.  Wendy also curates a Sanctuary for Leaders, inviting leaders to deepen their strategic awareness, expand their capacity, and provide multiple perspectives in creating conscious business solutions while continuing to hold their commitments to profit and their organization's mission.Wendy supports executive clients and their teams at the edge of their growth by integrating her systems, intercultural, and racial equity lenses with their real-world leadership and organizational challenges. She has the capacity to take in enormous amounts of disparate data and to make sense of it through a variety of frameworks simultaneously. She coaches her clients through complex challenges by naming structures and systems that may be impacting and/or influencing outcomes so leaders can be intentional about the paths they choose.Wendy is a cultural somatics practitioner and has explored embodiment across cultures to transform a leader's capacity, explore ancestral lineage through an intercultural lens, and be in and dance with racial equity and patriarchy as catalysts for shift and change. Wendy and I connected through a Facilitation Workshop quite a few years ago and have enjoyed a friend and colleague connection across the distances, as I don’t think we’ve been back in the same place physically again since that workshop. Wendy, thank you so much for sharing these pieces of your journey, your insights and wisdom, your reflections and contemplations.  You and the work you do are a bright light in this world.Connect with Wendy:Conscious CollaboratoryLinkedInWorkshopsMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

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