Michelle is a wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls, Ciara 12yrs and Camryn 2yrs. She works full-time in the recreation field assisting community groups with their programs and connecting families to those programs. When she’s not working or parenting, she’s helping others develop a healthy lifestyle. Today she shares her ideas about motherhood, some defining moments in her life and the dramatic impact it had on who she is as a woman and mother. We also chatted at length about her pursuit of health both physically and mentally, the importance of her workouts and nutrition, how she makes time for it, and most importantly, the personal challenges that got her motivated to make some changes in the first place. Michelle has a great commitment to making things happen in her life, and inspires others with her positivity!
ERM 005 Dr. Ali Miller: Being a Role Model for Girls, Peak Performance Strategies & Thriving in Chaos
Dr. Ali Miller is a fifteen year chiropractic professional with a strong affinity for women’s and children’s health and family wellness. Dr. Ali leads a balanced chiropractic lifestyle incorporating exercise, clean eating and meditation. It is her mission to raise the level of health in her community and she thrives on sharing information and inspiring change. Dr. Ali and her rockstar husband Adam live in Bolton with their three well-adjusted daughters Riley, Bailey and Zoe. They are her everything.
On this episode we talked about how she balances her practice and the lives of her 3 girls, how she has kept her 22 year relationship with her husband strong, and the importance of taking care of herself and how workouts, connecting with friends, are keys to making it all work. She also shares some of her experience in dealing with her own fears as a woman, facing challenges within her family, and how she dealt with them and got through them stronger. I particularly loved how she grounds herself consistently in thinking about what kind of example she wants to set for her daughters, the kinds of experiences she wants to give them to know that they are capable as women and deserving of a great life.
ERM 004 Dr. Justine Blainey Broker: The Value of Competitive Sports, Daily Rituals & Working Hard For What You Believe In
At the early age of 12 years old, Justine Blainey learned that the price of a value held dear can be loneliness and friendship, despair and elation, endless work and useful work, and the sometime sadness tinged with satisfaction of a life lived well, a life lived to serve. Her beliefs became action and five court cases later, the Ontario Human Rights Code was amended to remove legislated inequality in sports, and Justine hit the ice with the boys. Justine has not sat on the pride of her past achievements. Justine continues to believe passionately in equality.
Now Dr. Justine Blainey-Broker, Doctor of Chiropractic, she has spoken internationally about chiropractic, health and well-being. She provides entrepreneurial advice and inspiration to thousands of Health Professionals and runs a busy family practice in Brampton, Ontario.
Justine is a passionate doctor, but she is also a devoted wife, and mother to two teenagers! On this episode she shares her ideas about motherhood, we also talked about the value of competitive sports in her life and for both her children,
She also shares some of her experience in fighting for equality in the hockey world as a youth, the impact of being an activist, how that shaped her as a woman and continues to influence her today.
Justine is a very busy woman, on this episode she also shares how she manages their family’s busy schedule, the value of a few key daily rituals for her, the importance of having a support team, and some of her strategies to keeping her marriage strong.
Justine is a dynamo, is a powerhouse, a hard worker with strong values – check out her interview!
ERM 003 Michele Rich: New Directions, The Power of Meditation & Being A Student of Motherhood
Michele is a mother to a teen-aged daughter, married to a great guy, and a Registered Psychotherapist with an independent practice. Michele is also the Executive Director of a non-profit organization called The Environment Network, and she teaches at Georgian College. Her goal is to empower people by helping them to understand themselves and guide them into a healthy, joyful life. Michele dedicates her time and energy to all of these endeavours because she believes, deep in her heart, that this is the way to heal the world. Making sure that she maintains a healthy, joyful life herself can sometimes be tricky, but it is definitely possible.
On today’s episode Michele she shares her ideas about what motherhood has taught her , the impact of some of the challenges she has faced, why she decided to go back to school, and how she manages to make her family life and career work. She talks about the parenting choices she wishes she could have reversed, the ongoing joys of motherhood, and how she finds time to stay connected with her growing daughter.
She also discusses her secret weapon for giving her focus, preparing her for challenges, calming her in times of chaos, and why it’s one of the top tips she recommends to all her clients.
Michele can be reached at 705.444.3372 or mrich@environmentnetwork.org.
ERM 002 Rula Sharkawi: Pursuing Dreams, Setting Intentions & Family Balance
Rula’s passion for good food and a pursuit of creativity in business makes for an innovative and delicious line-up of My Little Chickpea products. She began her career over 25 years ago helping run two family restaurants and then, following graduate school, went into corporate communications and crisis management. She left her role as an executive in the corporate world to return to where it all began—food. Since launching My Little Chickpea, this big chickpea has never been happier, spreading the comfort and energy of clean food goodness to communities all around her! Rula lives in Toronto with her husband and two gorgeous little chickpeas, Gabe and Julian!
On today’s episode Rula talks about what prompted her to make the big leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship, how that decision improved her relationship with her sons and her husband, and how this lifestyle change has create more joy in her life. Rula shares how she focuses her time, what motivates her everyday, and where she finds inspiration. She also discusses the importance of having goals and setting intentions on a daily basis to ground her as both a mother and business women.
Rula makes time to take care of herself too! We talked about the importance of nourishing the female spirit, keeping excitement in marriage, and dealing with challenges in life, work, and parenting. A wonderful woman with an inspiring story!
Connect With Rula & Find Out More About My Little Chickpea
ERM 001 Darlene Christianson: Be Open To Adventure, Reinventing Yourself, & Being Present With Your Kids
Darlene grew up in small town Ontario, Canada and was married with two beautiful kids by the age of 23. After being a stay at home mom for 5 years, Darlene moved back to cottage country and pursued a career in new home sales. Her children grew older, she divorced, went back to school, and enjoyed a variety of work opportunities before meeting the love of her life, remarrying, and blending her family with his. Together with her husband she has conducted tours all over Europe, travelled extensively, and now lives and works in Washington, DC.
Throughout her life Darlene has been heavily involved in volunteer opportunities, in particularly in events that support other women. She is the creator and leader of the meet up group in DC area called WAM – women achieving more – with currently boasts over 300 members. She’s a dynamic, lively personality who likes to give back and help others, that certainly comes across in her interview today.
On today’s show we discussed Darlene’s life experiences and journey as a mother, the tough times, the joys, and how relationships with children are constantly evolving. She describes why she feels motherhood is better than she thought it would be, the key strategies she used to stay connected to her kids during times of transition, and her role in a blended family. Darlene also shares how she keeps some excitement in her marriage, how she makes time to take care of herself, and why she feels it’s important to stay open to the unexpected possibilities and adventures life brings us.
ERM 000: Dr. Melissa Longo | My Story
The Origin of Everyday Rockstar Moms, What You Can Expect to Hear, and Why I Think Moms ROCK!