No More Mondays

For those of you not in the know, Joel Gratz is the CEO and founder at OpenSnow, a company well known in the mountains for their spot-on weather forecasting for both snow in the winter and hiking in the summer. He is the Prognosticator of Powder, if you will. Joel’s forecasting is an integral part of our weekly planning, especially in the winter, when how much and where the powder is going to fall dictates the timing of everything else around it. Which is why we are in full superfan mode for this episode, as Joel talks all about his journey in the founding of his business and the integral elements that made it the success it is today. Are you in the Joel Gratz fan club? We’ve been members since 2007. Here's to an amazing 2022-23 winter season!

Rebecca Leppard is the definition of a success story. She is a successful entrepreneur, a mother of three, an immigrant, and a leading consultant for women in the tech space. All of these achievements didn’t come easily, though, and it was her personal journey from Indonesia to the UK that inspired her to found Upgrading Women, a communication training and consulting company. Empowerment is her mission, so listen in as she shares her message in this week’s episode.  

A funny thing happened on the way to the water bottle factory. While everyone was freaking out about the 2008 recession, Travis Rosbach had his head down, hustling and innovating the tech that brought you Hydro Flask, the company he founded and the metal water bottle we've all got sitting on our desks and rolling around in our car. His journey has been incredibly diverse: he’s a certified Dive Master/Instructor and was a commercial airline pilot. He’s a Reiki Master, member of the Explorer’s Club, and a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society. He’s got a lot to share, from random encounters with the Queen of England to hard-earned business wisdom. Suffice it to say, this episode is chock full of great stories and great advice. I recommend you stop reading this and start listening.

You never know where life is going to take you.  It's easy to get caught up in this fast-paced world. Caught up in comparison, caught up in perception, caught up in where we are versus where we want to be. The what-ifs, uncertainty, and pressure to "make something of yourself" can be overwhelming.  What if there is a better way to exist?  What if you could be present in life's journey, find patience, and focus on what you have versus what you don't have?  What if you could find fulfillment and happiness in the simplest of circumstances? Like being a pool salesman. In the middle of an economic crisis.  Who then becomes a world-class marketer, best-selling author, and global keynote speaker. You asked for the story; we're answering the call. Meet Marcus Sheridan, all of the above, and best of all: simple pool guy.

The path we take through life and career is nowhere close to a straight line. It has starts, stops, re-directs, and construction delays longer than anything PennDOT could throw at us. Take it firsthand from Chef Joe Gatto, personal chef, author, and TV host of From Scratch. He's a filmmaker turned chef to Boston celebs whose passion for all things culinary and success onscreen are a perfect amalgamation of his lived experiences. Having never been to culinary school or worked in a restaurant, Chef Joe is the embodiment of the success one can find when you embrace life in the way only you know how. 

An interesting analogy popped into my head when editing this episode: Dealing with adversity is like taking your vitamins. You may try to avoid it, even if it’s good for you. It builds you up, makes you stronger. And by relying on those strengths, you’ll be better equipped to handle life’s challenges going forward. “It’s never too late to start living in alignment with your strengths.” That’s a quote from today’s guest, John Thompson III, author of Stack Your Deck: How to be an ACE in Business & Life. Like Angie, John is a former engineer turned entrepreneur and coach, and his approach to work/life balance and overcoming challenges is a breath of fresh air.

Jennifer Tescher didn't start her career off in the financial sector. In fact, her first taken career path was journalism. But when her journalist's curiosity pushed her beyond just asking and writing about questions, it makes sense that she would want to be part of the solution to answering those questions. Which is why, in 2004,  Jennifer founded Financial Health Services, a 70-person non-profit dedicated to getting financial services to those who need them. Her journey over the past 20 years has led to the creation of a dynamic, holistic approach to mental health among her staff, and on today's episode, she shares the answers to many of the questions she asked along the way.

We're in an interesting time in history; we have all the technological advances necessary to make our lives easier than at any time before in our species' history, and yet as a whole, we are more unhappy than ever before as well. What gives? In this fast-paced, distraction-filled world, so many of us are struggling to find purpose and meaning amidst the often superficial nature of our digital world; this was the realization Ashish Kothari came to. Ashish is the founder of The Happiness Squad, and he's here to share the wisdom gained in helping others unlock their potential by getting back on the path to happiness.

I think we have all wondered at one point or another: "What Now?" When you're at the edge, drowning in stress and burnout, how do you return to a place of being happy again?  Well, if you want an answer to those difficult questions, Shannon Arner is here with answers. Shannon is the co-founder of Arner Adventures, a business she founded after her own struggle with burnout gave her the insight and answers to help others with theirs, and she's here to share how going minimalist can maximize your happiness.

Everyone's heard the saying: "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," implying that you should make the best of a negative experience, that something bad is happening to you. But what if instead of interpreting it as something external happening to you, it's seen as happening for you? It's something we believe here at No More Mondays, and we're excited to have a guest who feels the same! Kevin Dawson is a TEDx and keynote speaker and host of the Leaders and Lagers podcast who has used roadblocks life placed in his way as a detour onto a path of purpose and clarity. Let's all join him, shall we?