Alider Pratts is a veteran of the US Marine Corps, has served North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NJ) since 2004, and has quickly risen through the ranks by scoring at the top of each of his promotional lists. Pratts became a Captain in 2010, where he worked in the department’s busiest companies including Squad 1 and Ladder Tower 3 in West New York, NJ. He became a Battalion Chief in 2017, where he covered all three battalions as the Third Platoon’s rotating BC, before being promoted to Deputy Chief in 2022. He is North Hudson’s Chief of Special Operations Command, as well as the department’s Training Division Chief. DC Pratts serves as a member of the UASI-Metro USAR Command Staff and is the NJDFS Subject Matter Expert in Fire Service Active Shooter Response. As an Active Shooter Response SME, he maintains leadership roles in local, county, and state interdisciplinary committees. DC Pratts is a NJ Certified Level 2 Fire Instructor, teaches at the Monmouth County Fire Academy and Kean University’s Fire Safety Program, and has written articles published in “Fire Engineering Magazine”.
Jeffery Katz is a lifelong student and teacher of rationalist religious philosophy. He became fascinated in his youth by his discovery of the ancient wisdom of Maimonides and received rabbinic ordination while focusing on disseminating the ancient, life-changing wisdom he had uncovered. He is a practicing attorney, has appeared on national television, lectured widely on a broad range of issues, and is the author of The Secret Life: A Book of Wisdom from the Great Teacher. Jeffrey Katz is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia Law School, and Manhattan Talmudic Academy, has rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and has taught about Maimonides for over 25 years in numerous public and private settings.
Multitalented Musician, Actor, Director, Producer, and Writer
With over 15 Million Streams and 20 CCMA and BCCMA Award Nominations, Multitalented Musician, Actor, Director, Producer, and Writer, Wes Mack hits Fall 2023 with a Brand New Album, Single, TV Show, and Film.
Following up on his first two albums, "Edge of the Storm" and "SOUL," (which amassed four top 20 Billboard hits, millions of streams, and saw him tour with Shania Twain and Florida Georgia Line among others) Mack is now releasing his third studio album "Hummingbird" on October 20, 2023.
“Hummingbird” began production in early March 2020, just weeks before the pandemic began. “It certainly changed the album. It changed everything. But honestly, it allowed the album to come together in a really unique way that opened up a million new possibilities,” said Mack.
“Zoom sessions, Facetime calls, and sharing files across the world… suddenly it was possible to work with anyone anywhere. It oddly freed us up to collaborate without even thinking about where anyone was. Just about the most interesting thing, we could make something sound. That was the best part, and has become a huge part of how I make music now.”
The album’s work across multiple studios, provinces, and counties allowed it to feature the talents of some of the biggest names in the business, with writers including songwriters Gavin Slate (James Barker Band, Jade Eagleson), Travis Wood (Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen, Jordan Davis) Karen Kosowski (Mickey Guyton, Tim Hicks, Brett Kissel), Victoria Banks (Jessica Simpson, Mickey Guyton, Carly Pearce, Meghan Patrick), and many others.
The production was helmed by veteran producers Dan Swinimer (Madeline Merlo, Jojo Mason, Billy Currington) and Jordan Oorebeek (Spencer Crandall, Lydia Sutherland, Owen Reigling), as well as Mack himself, producing on Be Without You, House of Love, and Don’t Change.
With its unique origin, “Hummingbird” has already spawned big successes for Mack. The singles have amassed over 2 million streams, have had multiple top 5 hits on SiriusXM (including a Number 1 this year with “Lookin’ For You”), as well as generating multiple placements in film and TV projects.
While working on the EP, Mack also penned a series of co-writes with other artists including the top 10 hit “Fighting” from Tyler Joe Miller, the current top 30 “Breakup Song” from Lemon Cash, and the SiriusXM Number One hit “Bleed Country” from David Boyd Janes.
Playing into his other strengths, this fall, Mack joins the cast of the CTV/NBC hit series Transplant, premiering its fourth and final season on October 6th. Mack plays Ryan Ashcroft, a new resident doctor at York Memorial Hospital who immediately creates problems in the ER. Season 4 of TRANSPLANT finds Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Haq) on the precipice of finishing his residency at York Memorial and officially re-qualifying as a doctor.
Later in 2023, Mack is set to appear in a lead role in the heartwarming Christmas film, “Cape Holly Christmas” where art imitates life and Mack portrays a country musician named Luke, performing multiple original and classic Christmas songs, just in time for the holiday season. The film was shot in Mack’s home province of Alberta earlier in 2023.
Mack has shared the silver screen with a variety of stars from Liam Neeson in “Cold Pursuit,” to Kate Beckinsale in the Paramount Plus series “Guilty Party,” and recently played a lead role in the 2022 Netflix series “The Imperfects” which spent multiple weeks in the global top three shows. Other past credits include: “Power Rangers,” “DC’S Legends of Tomorrow”, “iZombie”, “Motive” “The 100”, “Supernatural”, “Continuum”, “Smallville”, “Heartland,” “The Vampire Diaries”. “Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story”, “A Dog Named Christmas”, “Girl House”, and “The Phantoms”.
Behind the camera Mack has also made a name for himself as a director and producer, earning him nominations for Music Video of the Year and Director of the Year at the CCMA, BCCMA, and Leo Awards, while creating compelling narrative pieces for artists like JUNO Award Winner Jess Moskaluke.
My guest Shivananda Swamiji is a beacon of hope and healing in the cosmic realm, offering a new multidimensional approach to healing the body, mind, and soul. This is an amazing opportunity to experience a true modern-day living Avatar, Shivananda Swamiji, who is a light in these times of great global change. Shivananda is the author of "La Mia Storia" (plus the English version: “My Story”), and "The Infinite Embrace: In Search of Divine Love," and leads workshops, retreats, and sessions globally. Meeting Shivananda during a Satsang is a powerful and heart-opening experience, one that initiates inner change. Unconditional Divine Love flows through him and touches your heart. Shivananda's purpose is to bring love and transformation worldwide, especially during this historic transition from the Kali Yuga to the Golden Age. Born in Puglia, Italy, Shivananda's extraordinary divine experiences shaped his mission on Earth. Shivananda Swamiji devotes his life to the service of humanity and stands in the lineage of the great Indian Masters such as Shirdi Sai Baba, Babaji, Yogananda, Satya Sai Baba and is completely devoted to Jesus and Mother Mary. Collaborating with master celestial healers, Shivananda co-created a method based on the understanding that life's challenges are lessons for soul evolution. Addressing healing on four levels—physical-energetic, emotional, mental, and soul—Shivananda's essence is to assist individuals in recognizing and resolving challenges from a multidimensional perspective. Through his Avatar's presence, he facilitates restoration, revealing the lessons in each challenge and guiding the healing journey with divine energy, accelerating a sacred process that awakens and integrates the soul's essence. As part of his mission, Shivananda heads up the New Light Collective to build 27 ashram locations worldwide.
In 1986, five neurologists told Sandi Gold that she had 6 months to a year to live. Years later, she was told she had to get a mastectomy, but she declined. Just five months later, using only a natural treatment she was cancer-free. Sandi’s book, “I Chose Love: How to Thrive After a Life-Threatening Illness Using Love to Guide You,” was published in January.
It’s been described by her readers “as a powerful and inspirational guide, offering a transformative journey that transcends the realms of self-help and motivational literature”, as giving “inspiration and wisdom on every page, opening new perspectives on how to react to the slings and arrows we encounter in life”. Dr. Bernie Siegel, a retired pediatric surgeon from
Yale University and best-selling author, wrote the foreword to Sandi’s book. It has already received ten 5-star reviews.
Ms. Gold earned her BFA at Boston University and upon graduation, received a full scholarship to study at the Leo Marchutz School of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France. She’s been featured in The New York Times, People Magazine, and ABC Television’s 20/20, where her show was among the top three programs the year it aired. She has also been interviewed on National Public Radio and its Connecticut affiliate. She was the keynote speaker for the Calgary Cancer Center in Canada and has spoken at Brown University, and the Brain Tumor
Sarassa is currently serving as the Interim Executive Director. She has most recently served as the Director of Operations for Ransomed Life, overseeing the procedures and processes for staff, after-care programs, and more. She became passionate about the victims and survivors of human trafficking in college. She has served as a mentor with Ransomed Life for over 5 years and she desires to see the victims find a place of restoration and healing. Sarassa holds a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham Southern College with a major in Psychology and minor in Religion.
Brooke oversees the Prevention Education Team, working primarily with School Districts, Businesses, and Community Organizations. She attained her Bachelor's in Community Health from Texas A&M University and got certified as a Health Education Specialist (CHES) which forged the way for her passion with preventative efforts and initiatives. She believes prevention work is a hidden treasure because you never truly know who you’re talking to. It could be a survivor hearing people speak about something they don’t have the courage to share yet, a victim waiting to say something, or a trafficker being confronted with the truth. When it comes to prevention education, the sky is the limit! Brooke was previously a Program Coordinator/Health Educator aiming to reduce teen and unplanned pregnancy on community college campuses with Healthy Futures of Texas and has trained at a National, State, and Local Level.
Hadiya Ayodele, a 22-year-old recording artist, music producer, mental health advocate, CEO of Dollhouse Entertainment Media and Publishing, and versatile professional from Baltimore City, has carved her path as a freelance digital marketer, influencer, and content creator. With a passion for music and a flair for digital innovation, she seamlessly navigates the dynamic intersection of artistry and marketing in her day-to-day. A former student of Prairie View A&M University studying classical voice and political science, she further honed her expertise through Georgia Tech’s One Ten Blacks in Technology Scholarship Program with Udacity, earning a degree in digital marketing. This unique blend of education and talent positions her at the forefront of the dynamic music and digital landscape.