Celebrating Craft in Business & Life with Adam McKee

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Celebrating craft, celebrating what you're good at, is what I wanna spend my life's work on.”

– Adam McKee

I had the opportunity to speak with Adam McKee, the owner of Contemporary Woods, a family-owned small business that serves its local community by delivering fine craftsmanship with integrity and creativity.

We discuss: 

  • The concept of celebrating craft and its impact on personal and professional life
  • Strategic and tactical learning in business development
  • The importance of culture and core values in a business setting

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Defying Expectations: Embracing Challenges and Overcoming Limitations

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You will find the critical points in your life where you defy expectations.

– Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

When was a time in your life when you defied expectations? That could mean expectations you placed on yourself or others placed on you. 

Expectations can dictate how we view ourselves, our accomplishments, and even our self-worth—embracing a mindset of defiance can lead to extraordinary personal growth and accomplishment.

In this piece, I explore the pivotal points in my life where I’ve defied expectations and how that has shaped who I am today.

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Overcoming Contradictions and Reclaiming Health with Udo Erasmus

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“98% of the atoms in your body are removed and replaced every year.” – Udo Erasmus

I had the pleasure of speaking with Udo Erasmus, co-founder of Udo’s Choice, a multi-award winning product line featuring fresh omega oils, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and super greens, which can be found in Whole Foods and other health food stores worldwide. Udo designed the machinery for making oils with health in mind and pioneered flax oil, a billion-dollar industry.

He is also an author and acclaimed speaker and holds an extensive education in biochemistry, genetics, biology, and nutrition, including a master’s degree in counseling psychology.

We discuss: 

  • Exploring contradictions and unity in life and science
  • The journey from pesticide poisoning to nutritional enlightenment
  • The importance of balanced ratios (including how Udo’s Oil® was born)

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The Power of Colors: Uncovering the Hidden Impact of Hues in Our Daily Lives

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Colors evoke emotions conditioned by personal associations, our culture, and historical context.” – Ana Melikian

The power of color is well-leveraged across advertising, marketing, branding, and more, but color's influence goes beyond companies and logos—it’s all around us, at every turn, wherever we are.

Today, I walk through how I view the power of color and how it changes across different cultures and periods.

I discuss: 

  • The significance of colors in branding (+ the emotions they conjure)
  • Historical context and evolution of color meanings
  • The personal impact of color choices in daily life

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How Sleep Quality Supports Our Journey to Maximizing Impact: Tyler Wagner interviews Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

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We have to be able to see the space between the stimulus and the response.

– Ana Melikian, Ph.D.

Can we find a bigger, more complex puzzle on Earth than humans? In my experience, no. We can’t. The complexities of the human psyche continue to astound and intrigue me throughout my work and studies.

I had the delight of being interviewed by Tyler Wagner—founder of Authors Unite and host of The Tyler Wagner Show—about my experiences as a psychotherapist and how that led me to where I am today, helping others maximize their impact while avoiding burnout—it all started with a love for puzzles.    

We discuss: 

  • The importance of sleep and managing work intensity
  • The impact of a balanced approach
  • The power of determining your rhythm

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Embracing Tree-Hugging Capitalism with Nicole Fende

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“You can find nature everywhere if you look. The impetus for this tree hugging capitalism was, yes, protecting nature, but also valuing people.”

– Nicole Fende

I had the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Fende—aka The Numbers Whisperer®—who is the author of two books and the designer of the card game Body Be Gone™.

Drawing on her background as an investment banker, CFO, and credentialed actuary, Nicole co-founded Creatopia® to nurture joyful creativity and foster creators’ prosperity.

We discuss: 

  • Exploring tree-hugging capitalism
  • Transitioning to support creatives and small businesses
  • Harnessing creativity to combat stress and burnout

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Be More Intentional With Your Attention

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Intention is more important than attention.

Think about the TV show we binge, the posts, stories, and reals on Social Media that suck our attention.

Yet very rarely do we intentionally do this.

Our attention is captured in so many different and powerful ways, nowadays, every day, at every moment. Intentionality is becoming a very rare phenomenon.

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Harnessing Positivity for Success: Chris Toledo’s Journey from Basketball to Motivational Speaking

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“My trademark brand of positivity is called Positosis.”

– Chris Toledo

I had the delight of speaking with Chris Toledo, keynote communicator, storyteller, multilingual surprise and delight speaker, and MC who helps organizations improve and develop company culture through a dynamic crafted experience on the power of Positosis™

We discuss: 

  • How professional basketball prepared Chris for a lifetime of motivation
  • From TV fame to discovering Tai Chi and a new mission
  • Introducing Positosis: a unique brand of positivity

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Navigating Change and Identity in the Age of AI Disruption

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“It is an odd reality of being human that we are always changing, yet we dislike change. Especially too much, too fast.”

-Giles Crouch

We don’t have to look far to find headlines citing the impending and continuous changes coming alongside AI implementation. From business operations to creative works to medical practices, the AI disruption shows no sign of slowing.

But if we look at history—and even further back—human identity evolving with technology isn’t anything new.  

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A Taste of Stereotypes: Reflections on a “Typical” Portuguese Restaurant

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A typical portuguese restaurant

On a balmy summer evening in Lagos, Portugal, what began as a simple dinner outing evolved into a lesson on stereotypes and human nature. My family and I, accompanied by American friends visiting us during our annual visit to Portugal, set out to experience what had been recommended as a “typical Portuguese restaurant.”

The recommendation came from another foreign visitor who had been impressed by the homey atmosphere and authentic feel of a small establishment tucked away in a residential area of Lagos, described as a place where you'd feel like your grandmother was cooking for you.

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