Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #8 Kem Frasier is coming from Summerville, South Carolina (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Kim via her website chandlerthehandlermovie.com or email her at kemfrasier@yahoo.com.

About our guest: Kem Frasier is the author of Chandler the Handler - You Can't Bully Me! Kem grew up in the South Bronx and unfortunately, can relate to the helpless feeling of being bullied. Kem worked as a teacher for 18 years and recently decided to make anti-bullying her life’s work.

Presently Kem spends her days in creative writing and as licensed professional counselor working in private practice. Kem, thanks for having the courage to share your story and to be willing to take action towards making our world a KINDER world. Welcome to the show!

TOTD – The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts:

To return love for hate

To include the excluded

To say, “I was wrong.”

Sydney J. Harris

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

Resilience – Courage – Leadership – let’s define them

Congrats on your creative ability and on the publication of your book – Chandler the Handler…

You are a storyteller….and are filming a story in the South Bronx next month… tell the listeners about it…where did you receive the funding…

The challenge of a lack of leadership from the top down… who do our children turn to who are role models…

Hurt people hurt people…

Why now…you are still a young woman but you have also lived a little…what was the turning point in your life that made you say TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

Define Bullying – Types, Numbers, Solutions…STOPBULLYING.GOV

An imbalance of power plus repetition. Types (verbal, social, physical 35 % of parents are worried about their child getting bullied at school, 53% of US teens say online harassment and bullying are a major problem, nearly half of all US teens have been cyberbullied, 19.2 % (6th-12th grade) report being bullied

Signs and Symptoms of a child getting bullied as well as the child bullying others?

Effects of being bullied and being the bully? Depression, Anxiety, Health Complaints, Decreased GPA. Bully – high risk behaviors – alcohol, fighting, early sexual activity, abusive relationships as adults…

BYSTANDER – not just a bystander – increased tobacco use, alcohol, mental health issues, and increased absence in school

ACEs and the long term impact of STRESS

What can schools do?

Parents do?

Creating a Culture of Kindness…

Values that define you…

Life Skills that are part of your PROACTIVE Program…

Last book or books you recommend?

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #7 Jessica Decaillon is coming from Michigan (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Jessica via her website wondersparklearning.com

About our guest: Jessica is the dynamic founder of Wonder Spark Learning, an innovative online learning platform dedicated to sparking curiosity and a love of learning in children. As a seasoned educator with a passion for hands-on, interactive teaching, Jessica has built a thriving community of students. Jessica’s current class offering includes: Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Life Skills, STEM, and other language immersion classes.

A working homeschool mom herself, Jessica knows firsthand the challenges and rewards of balancing entrepreneurship with family life. Her journey began with a desire to support her own daughter’s education while empowering other parents to do the same. Today, she’s leading Wonder Spark Learning to new heights, offering unique classes that help kids build confidence, make friends, and ignite their passion for learning.

Jessica, thanks for having the courage to share your many gifts with the world and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients. Welcome to the show!

TOTD – “Trust is confidence born in two dimensions: your character and your competence.” Dr. Stephen Covey

In this episode:

Love the name of your business… is there any special meaning behind it?

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

Your website mentions Life Skills classes. What are the life skills our children need during this crucial time of their development

What pedagogy differentiates Wonder Spark from your competition?

The importance of family…

Making the difficult decision to homeschool your children?

If that is not an option, suggestions for parents in identifying and communicating with teachers and school administrators.

Cell phones in schools

The changing landscape of education

Teaching a classroom of 35 different learning styles

The psychology of education

Spiritual, Mental, and Physical well-being of our youth – how do you suggest parents socialize their children…

Neurodiversity – resources, ideas to help…

The impact of AI on education

Three best things a parent can do to help their child in the educational space

Books you recommend?

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #6 Aneta Waclaw is coming from Mexico City (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Aneta via her website https://bio.site/nourisheinsideout

About our guest: Aneta is a passionate writer, podcast host, and advocate for personal growth and healing. As the creator of Nourished Inside Out and the author of Blooming with Self-Love, she empowers women to rebuild their confidence and embrace self-love after toxic relationships.

Drawing from her own experiences and extensive knowledge in emotional healing, Aneta blends neuroscience, holistic wellness, and self-care strategies to guide others toward transformation. Her work is a blend of heart-centered wisdom to help individuals break free from past pain and step into a more fulfilling life.

When she’s not writing or hosting her podcast, you can find Aneta exploring nature and the outdoors, capturing beauty through photography, or curating meaningful resources to support her community.

Aneta, thanks for sharing your many gifts with the people you serve, for having the courage to share your story, and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients – welcome to the show!

TOTD – "Nietzsche was the one who did the job for me. At a certain moment in his life, the idea came to him of what he called "the love of your fate."

Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, "This is what I need." It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment — not discouragement — you will find the strength is there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!

Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes."

Joseph Campbell – Writer and Professor Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

Originally from Chicago… was working as a hairstylist… but wanted something more…

The Power of Your Story

The importance of self-awareness and self-love…

Congrats on your podcast – Nourished Inside Out – how many seasons… focuses on health relationships…

Define healing…

You mention neuroscience often… what aspect of it are you speaking of?

Let’s talk about forgiveness…

Congrats on your book – Blooming with Self-Love… let the listeners know about it,

Decision making – how has that process changed for you as you have matured and learned more about life…

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #5 Dr. Derek Alessi is coming from East Amherst, NY (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Dr. Derek via his website strengthgenesis.com use POD 1 at checkout for any purchases. Also download his ebook for FREE here: Cooking with Gold.

About our guest: As America’s Premier Health Advocate, Dr. Derek’s core belief is that health and fitness are not a result of gimmicks, hype or the latest butt buster. Instead they are achieved by understanding the physiological complexities of the body and the synergistic role that the right kinds of exercise along with supportive nutrition can play in unlocking the healthy body that is inside every one of us.

Dr. Derek is passionate about body fat reduction, medication reduction and helping individuals improve the quality of their lives. Dr. Derek owns and operates Dr. Derek Health & Fitness and has appeared on over 2100-TV and 400-radio programs throughout the country and has been featured in national print media including Maxim, Burn Fitness for Women and Iron-Man Magazines.

Dr. Derek, thanks for sharing your many gifts and talents, for guiding people on their health and fitness journey, for continuing to be passionate about health, fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being, and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients…welcome to the show.

TOTD – “Vision without execution is hallucination.” Thomas Edison

Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

You have been doing this for 30 plus years, how have you evolved as a trainer, coach, nutritionist…how has time, research, technology…changed how you approach what you do…

What got you into nutrition and physical fitness?

How important is mindset in all aspects of life but in this case, specifically health…

The psychology of life…intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation

The three pillars of success – Right Exercise, Right Diet, Active Management by Right Team…

5 step process – Initial Consultation, Skeletal System Alignment, Nutrition, Workout, Sustainability in fitness and sustainability in energy…

Importance of knowing what is going on “under the hood” glucose, ketone, body fat and deep sleep tracking along with the right kind of diet and intelligent exercise to extend life and improve lifestyle.

Power Sips…congrats on the book, most recent but also have Lose Fat Forever, The Promise, Bermuda Triangle Diet, and Cooking with Gold…

Microplastics…and the damage they do to us and to our environment… why do you care with the products you sell?

Carbohydrates

Coffee, how much caffeine is good for us

Seems like you are big on Macadamia Nut Oil…give me your insight

What’s the difference with coconut oil vs. avocado oil?

Cold Pressed Oil are they worth the extra money?

Amino Acids – we have 9 essential that come from animal products ie the food we eat and our body produces the other 11… repair body tissue, hormones and neurotransmitters, energy source, boost immune system, aid in digestion…how much protein should people take in?

Protein Supplements

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #4 Erica D’Arcangelo is coming from Tampa, Florida

You can find Erica via her website astoryaboutpizza.com

About our guest: Erica D’Arcangelo grew up in a traditional Catholic Italian family with her parents and 4 siblings. Erica began her career in the digital marketing industry but soon realized her DNA was pulling her back to her Italian roots.

Erica is the grand-daughter of a PIZZAIOLO who immigrated from ITALY to Pennsylvania. Erica’s grandfather (Pietro) had a dream of starting a family restaurant. In 1960 he took action toward making that dream a reality and solidified the D’Arcangelo’s legacy. D’Arcs Pizzeria continues to thrive today – celebrating over 65 years of sharing the Italian culture with the intent of using culture to build community and celebrate family.

The essential ingredient…Pizza which inspired Erica to write a book about her grandfather’s journey and the positive impact PIZZA has had in shaping the trajectory of his life and the future lives of the D’Arcangelo family.

Thanks for telling your grandfather’s story, for sharing your many gifts with the world, and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients. Erica, Welcome to the Show!

TOTD – “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates.

Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

D’Arcs…a place where everyone is welcome….

Spending your life dedicated to pizza… your father has dedicated his entire life…what are some of his greatest lessons…

The importance of family in a family restaurant and the evolution of the menu…

Favorite pizza?

Immigration and the belief in the American dream…

Mom is Polish and Irish and came from immigrants…

Being where your hands are… the importance of being in the moment

Humbleness and Curiosity – how can they be the keys to unlock our passions?

Use mealtime to CELEBRATE each other… to celebrate family…

What has PIZZA taught you? Dough, Sauce, Cheese, Toppings, Heat of the Oven, Parmesan Cheese…

Abruzzo style pizza – (made with LOTS of olive oil)… makes it heavier, crispier…

Dad was a basketball coach and educator….what do you most love about your dad?

Finding fulfillment in life? How do you define fulfillment?

Congrats on becoming an author… have two books and adult version A story about pizza and your children’s book series – with the first book recently released.. Pietro’s Pizza…Let’s talk about the books…what is it you want the reader to take from your book?

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #3 Andrea McGinty is coming from Palm Beach, Florida (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Andrea via her website 33000Dates.com

About our guest: With over 30 years as the top dating coach, with features on Oprah, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and more, Andrea has been sharing her unique insights into finding love at every stage of life. As the founder of It’s Just Lunch and 33000Dates.com, Andrea guides singles to safely and effectively navigate the often-tricky waters of modern dating.

Andrea is on a mission to empower singles with practical, no-nonsense advice for building meaningful connections in life’s second act. Andrea recently released her new book 2nd Acts: Winning Strategies for Dating Over 50 and is LOVING coaching her clients who reach out to her from all over the world.

Thanks for sharing your many gifts and for helping thousands of people find love. Andrea, Welcome to the show!

TOTD – “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” –Pablo Picasso

Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

“It’s Just Lunch” first business…congrats – how did it start?

Hitch… how good does it feel to have had a hand in helping people fall in love…

Challenge of writing your profile… what tips do you have…

Picking the right site… over 1400…

What characteristics are your clients seeking?

The importance of AUTHENTICITY?

What ingredients define a successful date?

Successful relationship…
In what you offer your website mentions objectivity, accountability, efficiency…let’s bring those words to life…

Dating score… an assessment to check your dating skills?

Difference in dating today vs. dating 30 years ago?

Congrats on your book…2nd Acts Winning Strategies for Dating Over 50…released last month, great reviews…

Follow up after the date…what is the appropriate timing…

Great date ideas?

Communicating – text, message via an app, call….

How is AI impacting dating? RIZZ are we losing the ability to be authentic…

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #2 Jeaneen Tang is coming from Los Angeles, CA (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Jeaneen via her website playdumbandsabotage.com

About our guest: Amongst her many other amazing attributes and talents: Jeaneen Tang is an actress, author, mother, advocate, & a speech-language pathologist with 23 years of experience working with a wide range of clients from early intervention (0-3 years old) to the elderly. She specializes in early language development and has a passion for training parents, caregivers, and other educators on how to best to address the needs of young children with learning to understand and express themselves.

Jeaneen’s goal is to shake up how we approach language development and to decrease the number of children needing speech therapy. Having worked in schools, preschools, and providing early intervention in homes, Jeaneen has first-hand knowledge of how we interact with children shapes the way they develop. Although there are many children who truly need speech therapy services due to a disability, diagnosis, or impairment, Jeaneen feels a good number of children who are identified as needing early intervention speech therapy could be prevented if there was more parent, caregiver, and educator training on strategies to present and practice language.

Jeaneen, thanks for sharing your many gifts with people all over the world, for empowering educators, parents, friends…with knowledge of helping people communicate to the best of their ability and for being our guest… welcome to the show!

TOTD – “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

The importance of family…

How did you decide to go into Speech Therapy?

What got you into acting?

The importance of community, tribe, team, culture….creating opportunity to develop our communication skills…

How does play help build great communicators?

Autism Spectrum Disorder – Neurodiverse, Neurodivergent…

What are some red flags for new parents as far as language development?

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE…

Technology as a tool or deterrent?

Parent education on how to help their children be great communicators…play, interact, relate concepts… into language acquisition…

What is communication?

Processing the emotion of communication especially in young people…

Congrats on the becoming an author…great reviews…. Highlights of the book…

The importance of self-awareness and self-love…

Finding fulfillment in life? How do you define fulfillment?

Great coaches and mentors…

Legacy

Send us a text

C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books, host this podcast, and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.

Season 5 Episode #1 Anna Maria Didio is coming from Philadelphia, PA (inform, inspire, & transform)

You can find Anna via her website: amdidio.com

About our guest: When Anna decided to start a family, she was unprepared for the journey ahead. Years of infertility struggles were isolating and sent her into depression. After two miscarriages, Anna and her husband Richard had a beautiful baby girl. Realizing they wanted to expand their family they began researching ways to do so… but adding to their family seemed impossible. Until… they found themselves at an orphanage in Mexico, meeting a beautiful six-year-old girl.

They thought they found the missing piece to their family puzzle but were unprepared for the trauma their newly adopted daughter’s experience in losing her culture, language, food and everything else that had been essential in her life.

Anna knew she had something to say about her family’s adoption journey so upon retiring from an incredible career as a Human Resource Consultant, Anna sat down at her desk and started writing. It began with a memoir, Love at the Border and has blossomed into writing children's books with the mission of encouraging adoptive parents and all blended families to acknowledge the trauma, various unknown challenges and to provide hope in moving forward as a thriving family.

Anna, thanks for sharing your many gifts with the world, for having the courage to share your story, and for taking the time to capture them on paper with the hope of inspiring families all over the world. Welcome to the show!

TOTD – “Empathy begins with understanding life from another person's perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It's all through our own individual prisms.” Sterling K. Brown

In this episode:

What was life like growing up?

Listened to you on another podcast and heard you are a hooper… tell me about it.

What are your life’s essential ingredients?

National Council For Adoption: 2022 there were 368,530 children in foster care. Number of children in foster care awaiting adoption is 108,887 with 53,665 being adopted.

57% are adopted by their foster parents with 94% receiving subsidy

Average age of child awaiting adoption 7.6 years old, 43% White, 23% Hispanic, 21% Black, 9% Multiracial

Time in Care for Children Awaiting Adoption – breaksdown in years – 2, 3-4, 5 plus (2 years 25,994, 3-4 27,399, 5 plus 13,497 with numbers going up). Imagine the abandonment, decrease self-worth, self-image…

Different types of adoptions…

The trauma, grief, and loss of adoption

The POWER OF THE CHILD’S STORY…

Blessings of adoption

Challenges of adoption…

Helping your adoptive child deal with the challenges of school and growing up with questions about growing up, birth, no family medical history, family tree…

Tips for listening to your children…

Books…Love at the Border, Many People to Love, How I Wonder Where You Are, Carla the Conqueror..

Professional Help for people thinking about adoption…international vs. domestic, age, gender…multistage process… costs…National Council for Adoption – adoptioncouncil.org

Legacy