Awaken The Awesome

Growing up in a Third World country but having had the privilege to make a life abroad has taught me a lot about gratitude and resilience. Two very useful tools I believe are essential in anyone's arsenal along their journey. Having also been raised by a pair of solid overachievers who did not shy away from instilling a sense of duty and strive for excellence in their children was something I also benefited from. These are but a few of the elements that resonated with me as I took the time to read up on my next guest and her many incredible achievements. While it is true that circumstances such as financial resources, cultural background, family upbringing all play a significant part in one's journey, I truly believe that the power of the the mind and the choice to elevate one's self beyond these challenges remains the deciding factor between Success and Complacency. From the slums of Lagos, Nigeria,...

When you have the opportunity to come across someone who knows more than you do and who's willing to share their knowledge with you, take my advice and just remember to do these two very simple things : Shut Up & Listen. Otherwise, you will most likely miss out on some pretty amazing piece of truth and valuable information which, in all honesty, could definitely change your life.  This next conversation was no different. Benoit Chalifoux is a highly sought-after international speaker with well over 500 conferences(and counting) given to various companies of all sizes spread across North America, Africa and Europe.     He serves as Deputy Director of International Affairs at the School of Management of the University of Quebec in Montreal(ESG UQAM). As a seasoned Lecturer, his expertise covers a vast array of noteworthy topics ranging from Entrepreneurship, to Business Development and Cros...

There are no words to faithfully pinpoint the sense of appreciation I have for my next guest. A connection that happened purely by coincidence has since evolved into a wonderful and growing friendship. Through various exchanges, I got to know an individual whose colourful sense of vulnerability and personal truth, topped off with a personality that some might consider somewhat brash, revealed to be just some of his many endearing qualities. But don't let the foul-mouthed, tattooed, gray-haired, unapologetic persona fool you. Dennis Gable is certainly one of the hardest workers out there. Brand Producer & Consultant, Self-Worth Strategist, Podcaster...just to name a few of his many talents. But to me, it's even more personal - Dennis is a truly courageous and heartwarming individual. The kind whose brutal honesty is a gift rather than a nuisance. You need more people like that in...

Solo Episode. Your dreams better find you working. Less dreaming, more doing. #StayAwesome You can download the MP3 for this episode by  right-clicking here  and choosing "Save As" Stay up to date - Subscribe to the podcast and get the latest episodes as soon they're published. ( RSS ) ( Apple Podcasts ) ( Google Podcasts )  ( Spotify )   ( T uneIn )   ( Stitcher ) Remember to leave a comment and let us know how we're doing. Either on the blog of via email : awakentheawesome@gmail.com #StayAwesome

Who you choose to allow into your circle has a direct, undeniable impact on your overall process, mindset, and energy. This is still a work in progress for me as I learn to navigate around the habits, processes, and people that are instrumental to this overall mission.  In that regard, it is definitely a blessing when you can surround yourself with like-minded, talented individuals the likes of my next guest who never fail to lead by example on their own path towards achieving greatness through undeniable skill and consistent effort.  I've known Richard Lecoin for a well over 20+ yrs and even though I have yet to follow-up on my word and make it down to his sunny neck of the woods, his kindness and warm-hearted nature have made it so he doesn't hold it against me. An amazing photographer, his body work has been featured in many well-known publications, with a client-list that keeps stre...

I admire people who make no apologies for who they are and what their core values represent. These people, in my opinion, are the ones who are vulnerable enough to sing their own song to their own tune yet have the patience and empathy to stop, look and listen to what the world has to say. Mo'Lanee Sibyl and I got connected via a mutual acquaintance over WhatsApp. From the very start, there was a special sense of connection and mutual respect that went beyond the texts and quips and bubbly quirks that made her stand out. For me at least - there was more to it. Over the course of our many conversations, I got to meet and engage with a person who, from humble, challenging and yet defining beginnings set a course from her native Nigeria to continuing her Higher Education in the US that would align with her sense of commitment, resilience, and growth. As an accomplished scholar, she holds a PhD as ...

Solo Episode. Taking the time, literally, to celebrate the wins. For the time being. And the times the come. #StayAwesome You can download the MP3 for this episode by  right-clicking here  and choosing "Save As" Stay up to date - Subscribe to the podcast and get the latest episodes as soon they're published. ( RSS ) ( Apple Podcasts ) ( Google Podcasts )  ( Spotify )   ( T uneIn )   ( Stitcher ) Remember to leave a comment and let us know how we're doing. Either on the blog of via email : awakentheawesome@gmail.com #StayAwesome

You don't just wake up one day and have Success simply waiting for you on the breakfast table. If there's anything to be gained from the powerful conversations I've had the privilege to share with you so far, it's the very real fact that Success is not a coincidence, not an event, but a mindset. To seek, speak, embody and achieve Success is a truly powerful endeavor. It takes patience, dedication, grit, humility and the will to stay persistent through the good times and the bad. For those who have chosen to walk the path of personal growth and achievement, there happens to a word that plainly resonates with us all and defines this particular state of mind: we call them winners. An empowering disposition that has defined my next guest, David Germain, and journey from humble childhood beginnings to a top-level Real Estate broker, savvy investor,  motivational speaker, youth counselor and all-around imp...

© Darrin VanGorder (https://www.dvgphotography.com/) - All Rights Reserved There's this sense of ferocious intensity that I walked away from following this extraordinary conversation with my next guest that has left me both impacted and humbled. Passion - TRUE passion - is infectious and when you have the opportunity to witness and learn from it, you should take a second to stop and listen. Throughout his career as a professional actor, screenwriter, director, producer, poet, motivational speaker and author, David Bianchi   is no stranger to the kind of experiences and life lessons rooted in dedication, commitment, discipline and personal growth that we aim to communicate on this program. When I came across an interview he gave on the Bollywood Meets Hollywood podcast  in which he unabashedly laid out how, speaking of the Hollywood film industry, one should aim to chase your dream with no second guesses and no excuses...or...

"I'm not interested in talking about your rap sheet" I told him. Sure. It would have been easy and simple to make this a conversation layered with stories about his less precarious past. Anecdotes about his run-ins with the law, to local gangs, to friends that are not with us anymore, to pushing, to incarceration... That, in my opinion was an easy route and consequentially a small thread in the tapestry that defines my next guest's journey. Indeed, though his work as a poet, author, speaker, youth counselor and International Arms Dealer(not the kind you're thinking of), Svens Telemaque stood out to me as a true testament in regards to the fact that we truly are not defined by our past circumstances - but are certainly shaped by them. This exchange was a long time coming as I'd been meaning to have Svens on the podcast for quite a long time. I'll admit he'd been added rather early to the increasingly long list o...

Obstacles and overcoming them. Circumstances and how we are either limited or empowered by them. These are a but a few of the themes which I was delighted to have the opportunity to discuss with my next guest. As a professional speaker, real estate champion, entrepreneur, and passionate individual, Christopher Dedeyan ’s energy will send shockwaves to your core. A fierce advocate and incredible example of achievement in spite of (or because of, you decide) being diagnosed with dyslexia at the early age of eight years old, I’ll be the first to humbly admit that does he not fit the often misguided perception of someone living with a learning disability. With both wisdom and passion, Christopher shared some incredible insight on overcoming your own self-inflicted limitations, surrounding yourself with a team, staying disciplined, remembering to always be of service…and so much more…  He likes to say that "Your adversity is your gift" and throu...