Chasing Dreams With Aimee J.

Natalie Jennings just went the minimalist route, sold most of her “stuff,” and will be setting out to explore new places this fall. She is a photographer, podcaster, teacher, and the founder of A Face Project, which received a 2013 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. Her photo work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and Mojo. The Goal Don’t we all crave more flexibility and control over our time? For Natalie, this was always the motivator in her life. She wanted the kind of lifestyle where she wasn’t just living for weekends and vacations. You may think this lifestyle is “the impossible dream,” but Natalie explains how it can be achievable and accessible if you plan ahead.  TWEET: “The idea of going into the same workplace every day just didn’t resonate with me.” @afaceproject The Fire Have you ever felt the fire that spurs you on to something new? Like most of us, Natalie was busy, working hard to gradually chase her dreams. There came a time when teaching w

Squeaky Moore is regarded as the “pitch guru” for content creators and she freelances as a development consultant and pitching coach. Moore recently directed and produced “64,” a project on father-absent homes. “Father’s Day?” was also produced by Squeaky, and addresses the effects of absentee fathers. It recently debuted on the launch of Magic Johnson’s Aspire TV Network. “The Positive Controversy” is a show she developed, and “Face of Darkness-Journey to Healing” is documentary film that explores depression and suicide in African-American communities. She authored the book, #100 Pitches: Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To, which is a film and TV-pitching guide for independent content creators about the do’s, don’t’s, and strategy of pitching film and TV projects. Dreams that Remain: Have your dreams changed over the years or remained the same? Squeaky says that her dreams have remained for her, from the early age of 11, when she knew she wanted to act. The only difference for her is that she’s given it

Victoria Mininger is the founder of Fearless Woman Entrepreneur, through which she mentors women entrepreneurs to thrive, not just survive, in both business and life. She is also the founder and CEO of Bear Creek Enterprises, where she actively works alongside her husband, Brian, to provide employment opportunities and a positive work environment within the construction industry. From years spent building and running various businesses, to her time spent as a staff writer for a large university, she has honed her skills in the trenches of business and the creative world of writing. Victoria lives in central Virginia with her husband and four daughters. In her downtime, she loves to run, spend time in the outdoors, and travel. When Opportunity Comes Knocking . . . Are you ready to “do something different”? Victoria came to that point when a new opportunity came knocking for her in June of 2016. With her husband’s construction background, they joined forces and created their own construction company. Recently,

Kwame Christian is a business lawyer and the director of the American Negotiation Institute. In this role, he serves as a negotiation consultant for attorneys and for companies closing large business deals. He also conducts live training sessions for organizations. Kwame hosts the podcast, Negotiate Anything, where he interviews successful entrepreneurs and shares powerful persuasion techniques. With over 110,000 downloads and listeners in 140 countries, it is the top-ranked negotiation and dispute resolution podcast in the nation. “The Perfect Outlet for My Goals” Have you found YOUR perfect outlet? Kwame shares how he pursued clinical psychology but then transitioned to work as a policy-maker. Through interactions with people, affecting deep and lasting changes, Kwame has found a way to be more efficient in helping empower people with more confidence in some of the most difficult conversations of their lives. He calls his work, “the perfect outlet for my goals.” Shouldn’t we all be so fortunate to find our

Julie Leithoff of JAL Consulting began her career in the Kansas City, MO area as a marketing and administrative manager. Her career culminated at Vista Productions, Inc., where she served as their VP of Business Development and Event Operations. Her talents as “the gal who brings it in on budget while paying attention to all of the details” make her one of our most sought-after show producers. Her calm demeanor under pressure combined with her creative problem-solving make her a perfect “t” to lead the event team. Her vast knowledge of all aspects of event production and her ability to manage multimillion dollar production budgets put all of our venues, vendors, and clients at ease. Julie’s early dreams Have you gone through a time when you had no career goals? Julie says that her background in a middle-class family with little money left her with no chance to go to college and no real aspirations for her career. She worked in health care until she realized she was bored. She received a phone call from someon

Ruth Ullman is a business consultant, coach, and founder of myeldercarejourney.com. She has been featured on Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC News. For more than 20 years, she has helped companies, groups, and individuals achieve their business objectives. Giving up her consulting business to care for aging parents led her to create a new business, in which she helps small businesses, entrepreneurs, and consultants realign their businesses to thrive while they care for aging parents. She firmly believes that no one should have to choose between the business they created and caring for aging loved ones. “There has to be an easier way . . .” How can I help others through this? This was the question Ruth asked herself after facing the dilemma of running her business and caring for her parents. She struggled to find the information she needed to handle not only the healthcare for her parents, but the legal and financial issues as well. Finding people who were there to answer her questions and wanting to be THAT PERSON for

Kayo Williams is a native Chicagoan, film composer, songwriter, music producer, and mastering engineer at Kayquarii Productions. He’s served and advocated for several creative arts industry organizations, like Chicago Ideas Week, Grammy Producers and Engineers Wing, and the Gene Siskel Film Center BHFF Film Festival Community Counsel. His passion for music can only be described as a never-ending journey of discovery. Introduced to music at the age of 5 when his mother bought him his first instrument as a Christmas gift, he had mastered seven instruments by early adulthood. His love for various music styles helped him understand their powerful role in cinema. He’s been an active member and advocate for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the Grammy Producers and Engineers Wing, and EARS (Engineering and Audio Recording Society). TWEET: Be a life long learner - I’m still learning---every single day. #KayoWilliams The Power of Music: What is your favorite music from a movie? We can all p

With over 15 years’ experience in the addiction field as both a counselor and pharmaceutical representative, Megan Peterson knew there could be a better way for patients to get help. She took action and started 2nd Chance Counseling Service, providing a cost effective, discreet solution for patients seeking drug and alcohol addiction therapy. As long as they are willing to put in the work, she believes patients deserve that 2nd, 3rd, 10th . . . chance. Megan truly believes the “telemedicine” platform fits with the future of treatment and is here to stay. No matter how long it takes: Have you ever gotten burned by giving someone more chances? We probably all have, at one time or another. Megan wants to see patients put in the effort, but she’s committed to helping them, even when they don’t want to help themselves. Her passion is to help them work through the problems, and she knows that it takes hard work and honesty for success to happen. TWEET: What would be accomplished if people didn’t give up? @2ndC

Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown is a Jamaican-born, NYC-based, Caribbean influencer and the founder of Carry On Friends. Carry On Friends is a platform that provides content and programming to support the development and success of Caribbean-Americans in corporate work and entrepreneurship. She hosts the Carry On Friends Podcast, one of the first podcasts to solely feature Caribbean-American entrepreneurs and business professionals. The podcast had been featured as an editor’s choice in iTunes under the categories “Black Voices in Business” and the “Black Experience” collection.  “When your hand is in the lion’s mouth . . .” What do you do when someone else holds the power over your situation? Kerry-Ann has a Jamaican quote that sums up her experience in an immigrant family that faced challenges and extreme adjustments in chasing their dreams in the US. Sometimes you find yourself in a situation beyond your control and you must take the time to change things slowly. Kerry-Ann shares some of the courageous actions h

Karen Yankovich is president of Uplevel Media, a social media marketing agency delivering profitable cutting-edge digital strategies. Karen is an internationally recognized LinkedIn evangelist and Social Media Consultant who is an expert at helping businesses used LinkedIn and a range of other social spaces profitably. Her newest venture, Get Seen Be Heard, provides social media and do-it-yourself public relations training to thousands of members. She is also getting ready to launch a new podcast! A popular trainer and international speaker, Karen’s social media advice and expertise can be found in guest contributions on DailyWorth.com, Huffington Post, Social Media Examiner, and Career Talk Radio on Sirius XM.  Rock your digital online brand! Are you satisfied with just being “pretty good” at what you do? If you have an online business, then YOU are a digital marketer. Karen says to step into the role as an expert. Let people know they can “do business with the best, and not someone who’s just pretty go

Tameka Montgomery is the founder of the podcast, Raising Entrepreneurs: A Parent’s Guide to Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset. In 2013, President Obama appointed Tameka to lead the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development, where she was responsible for a budget of more than $160 million to deliver training and technical assistance programming to the nation’s 28 million small businesses. In 2015, Washington Post online named Tameka one of the 19 most influential people in Washington, DC, who can affect your small business. Prior to her presidential appointment, Tameka led the award-winning and nationally-recognized Denver Metro Small Business Development Center. Tameka is a graduate of Spelman College and Columbia University and holds an honorary doctorate in entrepreneurship from Johnson and Wales University. Tameka now calls the DC metro area home, where she lives with her husband, Jonathan, and their three young entrepreneurial sons. The “Fluke” Can you see how small ste

Staci Greenberg is host of The Inside Outlook podcast. As an interior designer, Staci has spent many years speaking with the various trades and people associated with building renovations and new construction. She has talked to everyone from architects and contractors to fabric manufacturers and furniture makers. The Inside Outlook is the show where she talks about all things interior and design with those very same people. Wine, a blindfold, and interior design:  What do YOU do when your dreams aren’t working out? Staci was struggling when she realized her dreams of being an actress were not going to happen. She shares how she and her sister played their childhood “Dr. Doolittle” game, and included an adult beverage and a blindfold. Staci slapped her hand down on a college catalog straight to her first interior design class. Was it a crazy move? Staci has loved her career path and her work in the visual arts. She says she wouldn’t have it any other way! TWEET: I didn’t want to do “another stint” at a pl

“Communication Diva” is the tongue-in-cheek, sassy title of podcaster and author (and church minister) Jenn Swanson. Jenn doesn’t actually believe anyone can be a diva of communication but does passionately insist that we could all do with a little practice! Through her podcast, public speaking, workshops, individual coaching, ministry, and recently published book, Jenn lives out her personal mission statement: to connect, encourage, and empower others and to help people “know they can.” Aimed at high school and college graduates (and with a gentle nudge toward personal awareness and growth), What They See: How to Stand Out and Shine in Your New Job takes readers beyond the interview and into the three-month probationary period of new employment.  TWEET: I didn’t want to deal with paperwork but wanted to do pastoral care with patients. @jennswanson2 Finding what calls to you: Do you follow what “calls to you”? Jenn shares how she spent 23 years in the hospital business, but then left to follow her d

Dan Moyle promotes helpful, engaging marketing over interruptive advertising. Coming to marketing from the TV news business, Dan brings a wealth of knowledge from writing to video production to multimedia content creation. He says, “I’d rather help someone reach 50 ideal customers than 5,000 passive viewers.” A believer in servant leadership, Dan can be found behind the scenes at work with organizations like Talons Out Honor Flight and Interview Valet, lifting others up with service and a strong work ethic. When you face the brick wall: What do you do when the job you want doesn’t want you? Dan experienced this when he longed to work for Kellogg’s but didn’t have the required master’s degree. It was an ego check to realize that “none of these companies want me,” but he stayed at his current job and honed his social media skills. While doing other small projects along the way, he kept trying to find the PR/marketing job he desired. Through connecting with someone he knew previously, he secured a writing positi

Meghan Enriquez is the founder and CEO of TRUE Conversations. Soon after the birth of her second child, Meghan had what she calls a “face plant moment,” which ignited her to create TRUE Conversations. She is highly sought after to speak with, train, and interview a variety of audiences around the most stigmatized issues of today: communication, leadership, and redefining true success. Meghan served as an Intervention Director at Johns Hopkins University for a clinical trial while juggling the demands of motherhood. This millennial, Asian-American entrepreneur who came to America as an infant adoptee has earned her bachelor’s degree in both Exercise Science and Psychology from Slippery Rock University. Join me for this uplifting conversation with Meghan! TWEET: There was an undeniable force that wouldn’t let me sleep until I took #action. @trueconversationsllc The “Face Plant Moment” Have you experienced these moments? Meghan describes it as the moment when you are utterly spent, barely able to function, and j

River Castelonia currently studies mechanical engineering at Manhattan College, specializing in solid modeling and mechanical design. After working on Nobel Prize-winning research at Brookhaven National Laboratory, he began his undergraduate work in engineering. During his first academic year at Manhattan College, he began working for Tesla Motors Inc. in their sales division to develop skills in both marketing and business. Combining his technical and business background, he helped co-found Haven Labs, a non-profit that designs 3D printed prosthetics for amputees in the NY area. River’s Second Chance: Is there a better fit for me? Perhaps you have asked yourself this question, as River did while still a young college student. He was studying physics but having a rough time when he received a “wake-up call” that drove him to transfer to Manhattan College, change is major and life plans, and begin working on himself and his dreams. TWEET: “People do what they’re good at, and not what they necessarily like to d

Today we’re checking back in with Joe Pardo, my guest way back on Episode 25. He’s a NJ-based dreamer and has always believed that society starts with You, and that to change society, you must first change how you think. In early 2014, Joe decided to leave his family’s $100 million business and pursue his dreams. Joe Pardo founded the motivational Dreamers podcast (http://www.howtodream.co (www.howtodream.co)) to build his platform around helping others pursue their dreams. TWEET: “I’m doing things as a web director that I couldn’t do at other places.” @supoerjoepardo Who is Joe Pardo? How would you describe yourself? Joe calls himself “a realist who loves to dream and create things.” His innate love for business has played into his work for the non-profit Hopeworks in Camden. Unusual circumstances led to his becoming their web director, but Joe says it doesn’t really feel like a job because he’s able to give back. He loves helping the at-risk youth with coding skills, professional skills, and trauma care. TW

Today’s guest is Kara Gott Warner, who also appeared way back in Episode 16. She’s been the Creative Knitting Executive Editor and the host of the Power Purls podcast. She began her career designing knitting patterns in 2002. Her designs have been published in several magazines, including Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting, Family Circle Easy Knitting, and Interweave Knits. Kara has a background as a technical illustrator, working with craft book publishers such as Random House, Lark Books, Sterling Publishing, and F+W. Kara first joined Annie’s Publishing in 2008 as knitting book editor, and then in 2010 signed on as Executive Editor of Creative Knitting Magazine and Annie’s Knitting Publications. Through the Power Purls podcast, Kara’s mission is to dig deep and ask those burning questions about what turned her guests on to the “two sticks and fiber” in the first place, and what keeps their needles moving! Making the Leap: Do you know your ONE thing? Kara shares how she planned it out and did the math before

Lucinda Cross is a best-selling author, internationally-renowned speaker, master coach, platform strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of the Activate Movement. She’s been featured on the Today Show, in the NY Times, Essence magazine, and many more media outlets. I heard about Lucinda when she was a guest on Episode 47 of the Trailblazers podcast with my friend Stephen Hart. I wanted her on the show after that episode, but when I looked her up and learned her story, I KNEW I had to do anything and everything to make it happen Thankfully, Lucinda said yes after my first ask and she’s here today! TWEET: “I had to go even harder after my #dreams because society had already cancelled me out.” #LucindaCross Defy the Odds What do you do when circumstances DON’T go your way? Are you tempted to give up and quit? Lucinda shares how a bad choice in college led to her incarceration and how she had to serve her time—for almost five years! Even though prison took a chunk of her journey, she didn’t let it stop her. She cam

Travis Wolfe was born into poverty to two drug-addicted parents. At the age of 8, his family placed him in the foster care system where he was physically and sexually abused. A runaway at age 15 and homeless by the age of 16, his life was on a downward spiral and he was destined for failure. But today he’s an author, transformational speaker, entrepreneur, sergeant in the police department, and the owner of WolfeMpowerment Group. His story is a testament that when you become determined not to lose, it becomes impossible not to win! TWEET: “I hated my father because he forced me to grow up, fight, and be a man for my mother.” #traviswolfe A Life Without Dreams Can you even imagine not having the capacity to dream? Travis shares that, as a child, he had no hope for anything better, but knew only poverty and hopelessness. He couldn’t even see other possibilities for his life, because he knew nothing better. When he was 17, a mentor changed his life when he said he “believed that I was greater than I believed I w