Awaken The Awesome

What defines a Champion? Medals? Trophies? The Scoreboard? The endless training and practice sessions? The high-level expectations we put on ourselves? The ferocious dedication to our craft bred from a very early age through our family legacy? The clear sense of direction we've sharpened over the years? ...or is it something else? I don't have the answers. But fortunately, through a journey marked by ambition, resilience, discipline and personal struggles, my next guest, Neyssa Etienne, is firmly suited to provide a few. Having accomplished so much as trailblazer for Women's Tennis in her native Haiti, as a local Champion, as well as on the International circuit, all the way the Sydney Olympics, a tip of the hat is certainly due. One could also say that old habits are hard to kill, as we were graced with Neyssa's dominating presence on the court as the only female player at the recent 2020 Edition of the Profin Open Tennis Championship that took plac...

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 ...

© Hughe-Robert Marsan (IG:  @hrmarsanphoto ) - All Rights Reserved I always try to learn something from these conversations. One of the issues I'd been dealing with recently is how to properly reconnect with my Haitian heritage. Leaving home is never easy but keeping in touch with your roots is, I believe, a  necessary part of stepping into your authentic self. Which is why I felt it was such a necessity to have my next guest on the program. As one half of the creative duo she forms with her incredibly talented husband, Monvelyno, Riva Nyri is one of those incredible souls that are on such another level of personal truth and empowering magic, that all you can do is listen. Talented dancer, choreographer, children's author, jeweler, mother...as well as a truly incredible singer...Riva's body of work is a manifestation of what we often speak about on this podcast in regards to owning your personal tru...