In this episode, JJ Flizanes welcomes Erin Hines, a Human Design business coach (and repeat guest from West Coast Women Rising), to kick off a new series-style conversation on Human Design—what it is, why it's gaining traction, and how it can help you better understand your energy, decision-making, and natural way of operating in life and work.

What You'll Learn

• What Human Design is and where it came from (a modern system developed in the late 1980s)
• How Human Design blends ancient and modern systems (astrology, I Ching, chakras + physics/biology concepts)
• The "science of differentiation": why your uniqueness matters and how it supports more ease in life
• The 5 Human Design types and what each one needs to manage energy well:
• • Generators & Manifesting Generators: consistent energy when doing what lights you up; built to respond
  • Projectors: here to guide; thrive by waiting for invitations and honoring rest
  • Manifestors: here to initiate; thrive by informing and allowing cycles of burst/rest
  • Reflectors: sensitive mirrors of environments; thrive with downtime and supportive spaces
• How type can reduce shame and friction (e.g., why open-ended questions can feel hard for "response-based" types)
• The basics of reading a Human Design chart: Type, Centers (defined vs open), and deeper layers like gates/channels

Mentioned in the Episode

• Erin's free Human Design chart option (available many places; Erin's includes helpful click-for-explanations)
• Erin's "Intro to Human Design" custom report for deeper insight
• Erin's podcast: Rebel to Rise: Where Business Meets Human Design (includes business strategy + HD education)

Connect with Erin Hines

Erin's website: DarnGoodBusinessCoach.com
Find Erin on: LinkedIn
Listen to: Rebel to Rise: Where Business Meets Human Design

JJ welcomes Sheila Donohue for a conversation that blends entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and the art of curated Italian wines and foods. Sheila shares how her company, Verovino, sources small-batch, farm-made wines, olive oils, and specialty foods—many not readily available in the U.S.—and delivers them to both consumers and businesses across America.

• Meet Sheila in Bologna: Sheila shares her life in Bologna, Italy, where she's lived since 2001, and how Italy shaped her expertise and relationships with producers.

• What Verovino does: Verovino curates and imports authentic, sustainably made, small-batch products—primarily from Italy, plus select producers from other countries and California—selling B2B and direct-to-consumer.

• From fintech to food & wine: Sheila explains her background in financial technology (fintech), her sommelier training in Italy, and how her personal immersion in artisan food culture inspired the company.

• Starting from a "clean slate": In 2017, after major life changes, Sheila began building Verovino—funded through savings—and took early action by importing product and going door-to-door to find customers.

• How the business grows: Sheila emphasizes the importance of continuity (repeat business), building scale, and covering operating expenses. She explains how an omni-channel strategy helps stabilize the business:

  • Distributors nationwide

  • Wine stores & restaurants (especially in California)

  • Direct-to-consumer shipping across the U.S.

  • Corporate gifting & events

• Marketing & education that compounds: Verovino invests in education and storytelling through digital marketing—especially their blog and YouTube channel—to build long-term brand trust and demand.

• Product philosophy: As a sommelier-led team, Sheila curates for variety and distinction: reds, whites, rosés, orange wines, sparkling (dry and sweet), plus standout olive oils—including single-varietal olive oils with specific pairing profiles.

• Events as a growth engine: Sheila shares how tastings, fundraisers, private events, and collaborations introduce people to the products—because tasting creates appreciation and connection.

• Specialty foods: The conversation highlights a Piedmont hazelnut producer offering toasted hazelnuts, caramelized hazelnuts, hazelnut creams, pasta, and pestos—plus JJ's enthusiasm for pistachio cream and clean ingredients.

• Wine club & gifting: Sheila describes Verovino's monthly or quarterly wine club, curated shipments with insider notes and stories, and a growing trend of gifting memberships (including personalized letters).

• Gift sets: Verovino offers curated gift sets—popular in December—and a standout option that pairs wine + olive oil, plus expanded options for non-wine drinkers.

• A second brand line for broader appeal: To avoid being pigeonholed and to meet different market needs, Sheila shares how Verovino expanded into a separate line for more "recognizable" wines, including Prosecco and kegs—ideal for events and high-volume restaurant service.

• Advice for new producers: Sheila emphasizes the need to stand out in a crowded market—especially as the wine industry faces headwinds—and to clearly differentiate your product and message.

• JJ connects her own journey as a winemaker (High Vibrational Wines) and discusses why she values small-batch, purpose-driven production over mass distribution.

• A fun community collaboration emerges: JJ invites Sheila to co-create a March event in Ojai with "Women Behind the Business: Real Conversations," potentially adding a wine tasting experience—and they discover their birthdays are both in March.

• Website: Verovino.com

• YouTube: Vero Vino

• Instagram & Facebook: VeroVinoGusto
  
  

Closing: JJ encourages listeners to explore Verovino for personal discovery, gifting, and creating meaningful food-and-wine experiences that bring "a taste of Italy" home.

What happens when someone listens to every single episode of your podcast for over a decade?

In this special conversation, JJ celebrates a major milestone by sitting down with longtime listener Vicki, who discovered the show years ago while walking through life's biggest transitions — caring for an aging parent, navigating a demanding career, and eventually stepping into retirement.

What unfolds is a heartfelt, real-life story about how small daily shifts, emotional healing, and consistent self-care can quietly transform your life.

Together, they explore what it really means to:

• Find purpose after retirement

• Create more joy without "doing more"

• Set boundaries as a helper or caregiver

• Stay healthy and strong as we age

• Use accountability and community to break old patterns

• Choose growth, even in life's next chapter

You'll also hear JJ reflect on the journey from the early days of Fit to Love to now — how podcasting became a living, evolving conversation, and why connection with listeners matters more than download numbers.

This episode is a reminder that healing doesn't have to be dramatic. Sometimes it's one new habit, one brave boundary, or one small mindset shift at a time.

If you've ever wondered:

• What's my purpose now?

• How do I take care of myself without guilt?

• Is it too late to change?

This conversation will feel like sitting down with a wise friend who's walking the path right alongside you.

✨ The next 14-Day Manifestation Challenge starts soon — join at jjflizanes.com/14day